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^F  GERARD 


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V  GONAN  DGYIE 


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//  appeared  to  me  that  the  plaster  would  orach  if  it  were 
taken  from  the  support  of  the  nmll."  ^ 


Cbe  Hdventures 
Of  6erard 

By  A.  CONAN  DOYLE 


Author  of  "  THE  HOUND  OF   THE   BASKER- 
VILLESy*'    ''ADVENTURES    OF    SHER- 
LOCK    HOLMES,''      ''TALES     OF 
SHERLOCK  HOLMES,''  "THE 
WHITE    COMPANY" 


A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,   ^  ^    ^    ^ 
^  ^  ^   PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


COPTBIGHT,   1903,  BT 

A.    CONAN     DOYLE 
CorrwoHT,  1902,  bt  George  Newnes,  Limitbd 

COPTBIGHT,  1903,   BT  GEOBGB  NeWNES,  LIMITBD 


PubliBbed,  September,  1903 


PREFACE 

/  hope  that  some  'readers  may  possibly  he  interested  in 
these  little  tales  of  the  Napoleonic  soldiers  to  the  extent  of 
folloxving  them  up  to  the  springs  from  which  they  few. 
The  age  was  rich  in  military  material,  some  of  it  the  most 
human  and  the  most  picturesque  that  I  have  ever  read. 
Setting  aside  historical  works  or  the  biographies  of  the 
leaders  there  is  a  mass  of  evidence  written  by  the  actu/d 
fighting  men  themselves,  which  describes  their  feelings  and 
their  experiences,  stated  always  from  the  povnt  of  view  of 
the  particular  branch  of  the  service  to  which  they  belonged. 
The  Cavalry  were  particidarly  happy  in  their  writers  of 
memoirs.  Thus  De  Rocca  in  his  "  Memoires  sur  la  guerre 
des  Frangais  en  Espagne  "  has  given  the  'imrrative  of  a 
Hussar,  while  De  Naylies  in  his  "  Memoires  s^ir  la  guerre 
d' Espagne ""  gives  the  same  campaigns  from  the  point  of 
view  of  the  Dragoon.  Then  we  have  the  "  Souvenirs  Mil' 
itaires  du  Colonel  de  Gonneville^''  which  treats  a  series  of 
wars,  including  that  of  Spain,  as  seen  from  under  the  steel' 


PREFACE 

brimmed  hair-crested  helmet  of  a  Cuirassier,  Pre-eminent 
amrnig  all  these  works ^  and  among  all  military  memoirs,  are 
the  famous  reminiscences  of  Marbot,  which  can  be  obtained 
in  an  English  form,  Murhot  was  a  Chasseur,  so  again  we 
obtain  the  Cavalry  point  of  view.  Among  other  booJjs 
which  help  one  to  an  understanding  of  the  Napoleonic 
soldier  I  would  specially  recommend  "  Les  Cahiers  du  Cap- 
itaine  Coignet,''''  which  treat  the  wars  from  the  point  of  view 
of  the  jyrivate  of  the  Guards,  and  "  Les  Memoires  du  Ser- 
geant Bourgoyne^"*  who  was  a  non-commissioned  officer  in 
the  same  corps.  The  Jmimal  of  Sergeant  Fricasse  and  the 
Recollections  of  de  Fezenac  and  of  de  Segur  complete  the 
materials  from  which  I  have  worked  in  my  endeavour  to 
give  a  true  historical  and  military  atmosphere  to  an  imag- 
inary figure, 

Arthue  Conan  Doyle. 

March,  1903. 


CONTENTS 

I.    How  Brigadier  Gerard  Lost  His  Ear     .  3 

11.    How  THE  Brigadier  Captured  Saragossa  41 

III.  How  THE  Brigadier  Slew  the  Fox            .  79 

IV.  How  the  Brigadier  Saved  the  Army       .  103 
V.    How  the  Brigadier  Triumphed  in  England  141 

VI.    How  THE  Brigadier  Rode  to  Minsk          .  171 
VII.    How    THE    Brigadier    Bore    Himself    at 

Waterloo 207 

VIII.    The  Last  Adventure  of  the  Brigadier  273 


THE  ADVENTURES    OF  GERARD 


w 


How  Brigadier  Gerard  Lost  His  Ear 

It  was  the  old  Brigadier  who  was  talking  in  the  cafe. 

I  have  seen  a  great  many  cities,  my  friends.  I  would 
not  dare  to  tell  you  how  many  I  have  entered  as  a  con- 
queror with  eight  hundred  of  my  little  fighting  devils 
clanking  and  jingling  behind  me.  The  cavalry  were  in 
front  of  the  Grande  Armee^  and  the  Hussars  of  Conflans 
were  in  front  of  the  cavalry,  and  I  was  in  front  of  the 
Hussars.  But  of  all  the  cities  which  we  visited  Venice  is 
the  most  ill-built  and  ridiculous.  I  cannot  imagine  how 
the  people  who  laid  it  out  thought  that  the  cavalry  could 
manoeuvre.  It  would  puzzle  Murat  or  Lassalle  to  bring 
a  squadron  into  that  square  of  theirs.  For  this  reason  we 
left  Kellermann's  heavy  brigade  and  also  my  own  Hus- 
sars at  Padua  on  the  mainland.  But  Suchet  with  the  in- 
fantry held  the  town,  and  he  had  chosen  me  as  his  aide- 
de-camp  for  that  winter,  because  he  was  pleased  about 
the  affair  of  the  Italian  fencing-master  at  Milan.  The 
fellow  was  a  good  swordsman,  and  it  was  fortunate  for 
ijbe  credit  of  French  arms  that  it  was  I  who  was  opposed 

9 


4  THE   ADVENTURES   OF   GERARD 

to  him.  Besides,  he  deserved  a  lesson,  for  if  one  does  not 
like  a  prima  donna's  singing  one  can  always  be  silent,  but 
it  is  intolerable  that  a  public  affront  should  be  put  upon 
a  pretty  woman.  So  the  sympathy  was  all  with  me,  and 
after  the  affair  had  blown  over  and  the  man's  widow  had 
been  pensioned  Suchet  chose  me  as  his  own  galloper,  and 
I  followed  him  to  Venice,  where  I  had  the  strange  ad- 
venture which  I  am  about  to  tell  you. 

You  have  not  been  to  Venice  ?  No,  for  it  is  seldom  that 
the  French  travel.  We  were  great  travellers  in  those 
days.  From  Moscow  to  Cairo  we  had  travelled  every- 
where, but  we  went  in  larger  parties  than  were  conven- 
ient to  those  whom  we  visited,  and  we  carried  our  pass- 
ports in  our  limbers.  It  will  be  a  bad  day  for  Europe 
when  the  French  start  travelling  again,  for  they  are 
slow  to  leave  their  homes,  but  when  they  have  done  so 
no  one  can  say  how  far  they  will  go  if  they  have  a 
guide  like  our  little  man  to  point  out  the  way.  But  the 
great  days  are  gone  and  the  great  men  are  dead,  and 
here  am  I,  the  last  of  them,  drinking  wine  of  Suresnes 
and  telling  old  tales  in  a  cafe. 

But  it  is  of  Venice  that  I  would  speak.  The  folic 
there  live  like  water-rats  upon  a  mud-bank,  but  the 
houses  are  very  fine,  and  the  churches,  especially  that 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR     5 

of  St.  Mark,  are  as  great  as  any  I  have  seen.  But  above 
all  they  are  proud  of  their  statues  and  their  pictures, 
which  are  the  most  famous  in  Europe.  There  are  many 
soldiers  who  think  that  because  one's  trade  is  to  make 
war  one  should  never  have  a  thought  above  fighting  and 
plunder.  There  was  old  Bouvet,  for  example — the  one 
who  was  killed  by  the  Prussians  on  the  day  that  I  won 
the  Emperor's  medal;  if  you  took  him  away  from  the 
camp  and  the  canteen,  and  spoke  to  him  of  books  or  of 
art,  he  would  sit  and  stare  at  you.  But  the  highest  sol- 
dier is  a  man  like  myself  who  can  understand  the  things 
of  the  mind  and  the  soul.  It  is  true  that  I  was  very 
young  when  I  joined  the  army,  and  that  the  quarter- 
master was  my  only  teacher,  but  if  you  go  about  the 
world  with  your  eyes  open  you  cannot  help  learning  a 
great  deal. 

Thus  I  was  able  to  admire  the  pictures  in  Venice,  and 
to  know  the  names  of  the  great  men,  Michael  Titiens, 
and  Angelus,  and  the  others,  who  had  painted  them.  No 
one  can  say  that  Napoleon  did  not  admire  them  also,  for 
the  very  first  thing  which  he  did  when  he  captured  the 
town  was  to  send  the  best  of  them  to  Paris.  We  all  took 
what  we  could  get,  and  I  had  two  pictures  for  my  share. 
One  of  them,  called  "Nymphs  Surprised,"  I  kept  for  my- 


e  THE   ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

self^  and  the  other,  "Saint  Barbara,"  I  sent  as  a  present 
for  my  mother. 

It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  some  of  our  men 
behaved  very  badly  in  this  matter  of  the  statues  and  the 
pictures.  The  people  at  Venice  were  very  much  attached 
to  them,  and  as  to  the  four  bronze  horses  which  stood 
over  the  gate  of  their  great  church,  they  loved  them  as 
dearly  as  if  they  had  been  their  children.  I  have  always 
been  a  judge  of  a  horse,  and  I  had  a  good  look  at  these 
ones,  but  I  could  not  see  that  there  was  much  to  be  said 
for  them.  They  were  too  coarse-limbed  for  light  cavalry 
charges  and  they  had  not  the  weight  for  the  gun-teams. 
However,  they  were  the  only  four  horses,  alive  or  dead, 
in  the  whole  town,  so  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the 
people  would  know  any  better.  They  wept  bitterly  when 
they  were  sent  away,  and  ten  French  soldiers  were  found 
floating  in  the  canals  that  night.  As  a  punishment  for 
these  murders  a  great  many  more  of  their  pictures  were 
sent  away,  and  the  soldiers  took  to  breaking  the  statues 
and  firing  their  muskets  at  the  stained-glass  windows. 
This  made  the  people  furious,  and  there  was  very  bad 
feeling  in  the  town.  Many  officers  and  men  disappeared 
during  that  winter,  and  even  tjiej^  bpdie§  were  never 
found. 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  JEAR  T 
For  myiself  1  had  pleilty  to  do,  aiid  I  nevef  found  the 
tim^  heavy  otl  itiy  hands.  In  eVfery  coUhtfy  it  hfts  been 
my  ciistoiti  to  try  to  leal-n  the  language.  For  this 
reason  I  alWkys  look  rOUnd  iot  some  lady  who  will  be 
kind  enough  to  teadh  it  to  ttle^  atid  thett  we  ptactise  it  to- 
gether. This  is  the  most  interesting  Wiety  o£  picking  it 
up,  and  before  I  was  thirty  I  could  speak  iiearly  every 
tongue  in  Europe;  but  it  niUst  be  confessed  that  what 
you  lea,rn  is  not  of  much  use  for  the  ordinary  purposes 
of  life.  My  business,  fot  example,  has  usually  been  with 
soldiers  and  peasants,  and  what  advantage  is  it  to  be  able 
to  say  to  them  that  I  love  only  them,  and  that  I  will  come 
back  when  the  wars  are  over? 

Never  have  I  had  so  sweet  a  teacher  Els  iii  Venifce.  Lucia 
was  her  first  name,  and  h^r  second — ^but  a  gentleman  for- 
gets second  names.  I  can  s&y  this  with  all  discretion^ 
that  she  was  of  one  of  the  senatorial  fsimilies  of  Ven- 
ice and  that  her  grandfather  had  been  Doge  of  the  town^ 
She  was  of  an  exquisite  beauty — and  when  1,  Etienne 
Gerard,  use  such  a  word  as  "exquisite,"  my  friends,  it  has 
a  meaning.  I  have  judgment,  I  have  memories,  I  have 
the  means  of  comparison.  Of  all  the  women  who  have 
loved  me  there  are  not  twenty  to  whom  I  could  apply  such 
a  term  as  that.    But  I  say  again  that  Lucia  was  exquisite. 


8  THE   ADVENTURES   OF   GERARD 

Of  the  dark  type  I  do  not  recall  her  equal  unless  it  were 
Dolores  of  Toledo.  There  was  a  little  brunette  whom  I 
loved  at  Santarem  when  I  was  soldiering  under  Massena 
in  Portugal — her  name  has  escaped  me.  She  was  of  a 
perfect  beauty,  but  she  had  not  the  figure  nor  the  grace 
of  Lucia.  There  was  Agnes  also.  I  could  not  put  one 
before  the  other,  but  I  do  none  an  injustice  when  I  say 
that  Lucia  was  the  equal  of  the  best. 

It  was  over  this  matter  of  pictures  that  I  had  first  met 
her,  for  her  father  owned  a  palace  on  the  farther  side  of 
the  Rialto  Bridge  upon  the  Grand  Canal,  and  it  was  so 
packed  with  wall-paintings  that  Suchet  sent  a  party  of 
sappers  to  cut  some  of  them  out  and  send  them  to  Paris. 
I  had  gone  down  with  them,  and  after  I  had  seen  Lucia 
in  tears  it  appeared  to  me  that  the  plaster  would  crack  if 
it  were  taken  from  the  support  of  the  wall.  I  said  so,  and 
the  sappers  were  withdrawn.  After  that  I  was  the  friend 
of  the  family,  and  many  a  flask  of  Chianti  have  I  cracked 
with  the  father  and  many  a  sweet  lesson  have  I  had  from 
the  daughter.  Some  of  our  French  officers  married  in 
Venice  that  winter,  and  I  might  have  done  the  same,  for 
I  loved  her  with  all  my  heart ;  but  Etienne  Gerard  has  his 
sword,  his  horse,  his  regiment,  his  mother,  his  Emperor, 
and  his  career.    A  debonair  Hussar  has  room  in  his  life 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR     9 

for  love,  but  none  for  a  wife.  So  I  thought  then,  my 
friends,  but  I  did  not  see  the  lonely  days  when  I  should 
long  to  clasp  those  vanished  hands,  and  turn  my  head 
away  when  I  saw  old  comrades  with  their  tall  children 
standing  round  their  chairs.  This  love  which  I  had 
thought  was  a  joke  and  a  plaything — it  is  only  now  that 
I  understand  that  it  is  the  moulder  of  one's  life,  the  most 
solemn  and  sacred  of  all  things —  Thank  you,  my 
friend,  thank  you !  It  is  a  good  wine,  and  a  second  bot- 
tle cannot  hurt. 

And  now  I  will  tell  you  how  my  love  for  Lucia  was  the 
cause  of  one  of  the  most  terrible  of  all  the  wonderful  ad- 
ventures which  have  ever  befallen  me,  and  how  it  was 
that  I  came  to  lose  the  top  of  my  right  ear.  You  have 
often  asked  me  why  it  was  missing.  To-night  for  the 
first  time  I  will  tell  you. 

Suchet's  head-quarters  at  that  time  was  the  old  palace 
of  the  Doge  Dandolo,  which  stands  on  the  lagoon  not  far 
from  the  place  of  San  Marco.  It  was  near  the  end  of  the 
winter,  and  I  had  returned  one  night  from  the  Theatre 
Goldini,  when  I  found  a  note  from  Lucia  and  a  gondola 
waiting.  She  prayed  me  to  come  to  her  at  once  as  she  was 
in  trouble.  To  a  Frenchman  and  a  soldier  there  was  but 
one  answer  to  such  a  note.    In  an  instant  I  was  in  the  boat 


10        THE   ADVENTURES   OF   GERARD 

and  the  gonclolier  was  pushing  out  into  the  dark  lagoon. 
I  remember  that  as  I  took  my  seat  in  the  boat  I  was  struck 
by  the  man's  great  size.  He  was  not  tall,  but  he  was  one 
of  the  broadest  men  that  I  have  ever  seen  in  my  life.  But 
the  gondoliers  of  Venice  are  a  strong  breed,  and  powerful 
men  are  common  enough  among  them.  The  fellow  took 
his  place  behind  me  and  began  to  row. 

A  good  soldier  in  an  enemy's  country  should  every- 
where and  at  all  times  be  on  the  alert.  It  has  been  one  of 
the  rules  of  my  life,  and  if  I  have  lived  to  wear  grey  hairs 
it  is  because  I  have  observed  it.  And  yet  upon  that  night 
I  was  as  careless  as  a  foolish  young  recruit  who  fears  lest 
he  should  be  thought  to  be  afraid.  My  pistols  I  had  left 
behind  in  my  hurry.  My  sword  was  at  my  belt,  but  it  is 
not  always  the  most  convenient  of  weapons.  I  lay  back 
in  my  seat  in  the  gondola,  lulled  by  the  gentle  swish  of 
the  water  and  the  steady  creaking  of  the  oar.  Our  way 
lay  through  a  network  of  narrow  canals  with  high  houses 
towering  on  either  side  and  a  thin  slit  of  star-spangled 
sky  above  us.  Here  and  there,  on  the  bridges  which 
spanned  the  canal,  there  was  the  dim  glimmer  of  an  oil 
lamp,  and  sometimes  there  came  a  gleam  from  some  niche 
where  a  candle  burned  before  the  image  of  a  saint.  But 
save  for  this  it  was  all  black,  and  one  could  only  see  the 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  11 

water  by  the  white  fringe  which  curled  round  the  long 
black  nose  of  our  boat.  It  was  a  place  and  a  time  for 
dreaming.  I  thought  of  my  own  past  life,  of  all  the  great 
deeds  in  which  I  had  been  concerned,  of  the  horses  that  I 
had  handled,  and  of  the  women  that  I  had  loved.  Then 
I  thought  also  of  my  dear  mother,  and  I  fancied  her  joy 
when  she  heard  the  folk  in  the  village  talking  about  the 
fame  of  her  son.  Of  the  Emperor  also  I  thought,  and 
of  France,  the  dear  fatherland,  the  sunny  France,  mother 
of  beautiful  daughters  and  of  gallant  sons.  My  heart 
glowed  within  me  as  I  thought  of  how  we  had  brought  her 
colours  so  many  hundred  leagues  beyond  her  borders.  To 
her  greatness  I  would  dedicate  my  life.  I  placed  my 
hand  upon  my  heart  as  I  swore  it,  and  at  that  instant  the 
gondolier  fell  upon  me  from  behind. 

When  I  say  that  he  fell  upon  me  I  do  not  mean  merely 
that  he  attacked  me,  but  that  he  really  did  tumble  upon 
me  with  all  his  weight.  The  fellow  stands  behind  you 
and  above  you  as  he  rows,  so  that  you  can  neither  see  him 
nor  can  you  in  any  way  guard  against  such  an  assault. 
One  moment  I  had  sat  with  my  mind  filled  with  sublime 
resolutions,  the  next  I  was  flattened  out  upon  the  bottom 
of  the  boat,  the  breath  dashed  out  of  my  body,  and  this 
monster  pinning  me  down.    I  felt  the  fierce  pants  of  his 


12         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

hot  breath  upon  the  back  of  my  neck.  In  an  instant  he 
had  torn  away  my  sword,  had  sHpped  a  sack  over  my 
head,  and  had  tied  a  rope  firmly  round  the  outside  of  it. 
There  I  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  gondola  as  helpless  as 
a  trussed  fowl.  I  could  not  shout,  I  could  not  move;  I 
was  a  mere  bundle.  An  instant  later  I  heard  once  more 
the  swishing  of  the  water  and  the  creaking  of  the  oar. 
This  fellow  had  done  his  work  and  had  resumed  his  jour- 
ney as  quietly  and  unconcernedly  as  if  he  were  accus- 
tomed to  clap  a  sack  over  a  colonel  of  Hussars  every 
day  of  the  week. 

I  cannot  tell  you  the  humiliation  and  also  the  fury 
which  filled  my  mind  as  I  lay  there  like  a  helpless  sheep 
being  carried  to  the  butcher's.  I,  Etienne  Gerard,  the 
champion  of  the  six  brigades  of  light  cavalry  and  the 
first  swordsman  of  the  Grand  Army,  to  be  overpowered  by 
a  single  unarmed  man  in  such  a  fashion !  Yet  I  lay  quiet, 
for  there  is  a  time  to  resist  and  there  is  a  time  to  save  one's 
strength.  I  had  felt  the  fellow's  grip  upon  m}'^  arms, 
and  I  knew  that  I  would  be  a  child  in  his  hands.  I  waited 
quietly,  therefore,  with  a  heart  which  burned  with  rage, 
until  my  opportunity  should  come. 

How  long  I  lay  there  at  the  bottom  of  the  boat  I  can- 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  13 

not  tell ;  but  it  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  long  time,  and  always 
there  were  the  hiss  of  the  waters  and  the  steady  creaking 
of  the  oar.  Several  times  we  turned  corners,  for  I 
heard  the  long,  sad  cry  which  these  gondoliers  give  when 
they  wish  to  warn  their  fellows  that  they  are  coming.  At 
last,  after  a  considerable  journey,  I  felt  the  side  of  the 
boat  scrape  up  against  a  landing-place.  The  fellow 
knocked  three  times  with  his  oar  upon  wood,  and  in  an- 
swer to  his  summons  I  heard  the  rasping  of  bars  and  the 
turning  of  keys.  A  great  door  creaked  back  upon  its 
hinges. 

"Have  you  got  him  ?^^  asked  a  voice,  in  Italian. 

My  monster  gave  a  laugh  and  kicked  the  sack  in 
which  I  lay. 

"Here  he  is,"  said  he. 

"They  are  waiting."  He  added  something  which  I 
could  not  understand. 

"Take  him,  then,"  said  my  captor.  He  raised  me  in 
his  arms,  ascended  some  steps,  and  I  was  thrown  down 
upon  a  hard  floor.  A  moment  later  the  bars  creaked  and 
the  key  whined  once  more.  I  was  a  prisoner  inside  a 
house. 

From  the  voices  and  the  steps  there  seemed  now  to  be 


U         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

several  people  round  me.  I  understand  Italian  a  great 
deal  better  than  I  speak  it,  and  I  could  make  out  very  well 
what  they  were  saying. 

"You  have  not  killed  him,  Matteo?" 

"What  matter  if  I  have.?" 

"My  faith,  you  will  have  to  answer  for  it  to  the  tri- 
bunal." 

"They  will  kill  him,  will  they  not.?" 

"Yes,  but  it  is  not  for  you  or  me  to  take  it  out  of  their 
hands." 

"Tut !  I  have  not  killed  him.  Dead  men  do  not  bite, 
and  his  cursed  teeth  met  in  my  thumb  as  I  pulled  the  sack 
over  his  head." 

"He  lies  very  quiet." 

"Tumble  him  out  and  you  will  find  that  he  is  lively 
enough." 

The  cord  which  bound  me  was  undone  and  the  sack 
drawn  from  over  my  head.  With  my  eyes  closed  I  lay 
motionless  upon  the  floor. 

"By  the  saints,  Matteo,  I  tell  you  that  you  have  broken 
his  neck." 

"Not  I.  He  has  only  fainted.  The  better  for  him  if 
he  never  came  out  of  it  again." 

I  felt  a  hand  within  my  tunic. 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  15 

"Matteo   is  right,"  said  a  voice.     "His  heart  beats 
Hke  a  hammer.     Let  him  lie  and  he  will  soon  find  his 


55 


senses. 

I  waited  for  a  minute  or  so  and  then  I  ventured  to  take 
a  stealthy  peep  from  between  my  lashes.  At  first  I  could 
see  nothing,  for  I  had  been  so  long  in  darkness  and 
it  was  but  a  dim  light  in  which  I  found  myself.  Soon, 
however,  I  made  out  that  a  high  and  vaulted  ceiling  cov- 
ered with  painted  gods  and  goddesses  was  arching  over 
my  head.  This  was  no  mean  den  of  cut-throats  into 
which  I  had  been  carried,  but  it  must  be  the  hall  of  some 
Venetian  palace.  Then,  without  movement,  very  slow- 
ly and  stealthily  I  had  a  peep  at  the  men  who  surrounded 
me.  There  was  the  gondolier,  a  swart,  hard-faced,  mur- 
derous ruffian,  and  beside  him  were  three  other  men,  one 
of  them  a  little,  twisted  fellow  with  an  air  of  authority 
and  several  keys  in  his  hand,  the  other  two  tall  young 
servants  in  a  smart  livery.  As  I  listened  to  their  talk  I 
saw  that  the  small  man  was  the  steward  of  the  house, 
and  that  the  others  were  under  his  orders. 

There  were  four  of  them,  then,  but  the  little  steward 
might  be  left  out  of  the  reckoning.  Had  I  a  weapon  I 
should  have  smiled  at  such  odds  as  those.  But,  hand  to 
hand,  I  was  no  match  for  the  one  even  without  three 


16         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

others  to  aid  him.    Cunning,  then,  not  force,  must  be  my 
aid.    I  wished  to  look  round  for  some  mode  of  escape,  and 
in  doing  so  I  gave  an  almost  imperceptible  movement  of 
my  head.     Slight  as  it  was  it  did  not  escape  my  guar-- 
dians. 

"Come,  wake  up,  wake  up!"  cried  the  steward. 

"Get  on  your  feet,  little  Frenchman,"  growled  the  gon- 
dolier. "Get  up,  I  say,"  and  for  the  se/;ond  time  he 
spurned  me  with  his  foot 

Never  in  the  worid  was  a  command  obeyed  so  promptly 
as  that  one.  In  an  instant  I  had  bounded  to  my  feet  and 
rushed  as  hard  as  I  could  to  the  back  of  the  hall.  They 
were  after  me  as  I  have  seen  the  English  hounds  follow 
a  fox,  but  there  was  a  long  passage  down  which  I  tore. 
It  turned  to  the  left  and  again  to  the  left,  and  then  I 
found  myself  back  in  the  hall  once  more.  They  were  al- 
most within  touch  of  me  and  there  was  no  time  for 
thought.  I  turned  toward  the  staircase,  but  two  men 
were  coming  down  it.  I  dodged  back  and  tried  the  door 
through  which  I  had  been  brought,  but  it  was  fastened 
with  great  bars  and  I  could  not  loosen  them.  The  gondo- 
lier was  on  me  with  his  knife,  but  I  met  him  with  a  kick  on 
the  body  which  stretched  him  on  his  back.  His  dagger 
flew  with  a  clatter  across  the  marble  floor.    I  had  no  time 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  17 

to  seize  it,  for  there  were  half  a  dozen  of  them  now  clutch- 
ing at  me.  As  I  rushed  through  them  the  little  steward 
thrust  his  leg  before  me  and  I  fell  with  a  crash,  but  I  was 
up  in  an  instant,  and  breaking  from  their  grasp  I  burst 
through  the  very  middle  of  them  and  made  for  a  door  at 
the  other  end  of  the  hall.  I  reached  it  well  in  front  of 
them,  and  I  gave  a  shout  of  triumph  as  the  handle  turned 
freely  in  my  hand,  for  I  could  see  that  it  led  to  the  out- 
side and  that  all  was  clear  for  my  escape.  But  I  had  for- 
gotten this  strange  city  in  which  I  was.  Every  house  is 
an  island.  As  I  flung  open  the  door,  ready  to  bound  out 
into  the  street,  the  light  of  the  hall  shone  upon  the  deep, 
still,  black  water  which  lay  flush  with  the  topmost  step. 
I  shrank  back,  and  in  an  instant  my  pursuers  were  on  me. 
But  I  am  not  taken  so  easily.  Again  I  kicked  and  fought 
my  way  through  them,  though  one  of  them  tore  a  handful 
of  hair  from  my  head  in  his  effort  to  hold  me.  The  little 
steward  struck  me  with  a  key  and  I  was  battered  and 
bruised,  but  once  more  I  cleared  a  way  in  front  of  me. 
Up  the  grand  staircase  I  rushed,  burst  open  the  pair  of 
huge  folding  doors  which  faced  me,  and  learned  at  last 
that  my  efforts  were  in  vain. 

The  room  into  which   I  had  broken  was  brilliantly 
lighted.    With  its  gold  cornices,  its  massive  pillars,  and 


18         THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

its  painted  walls  and  ceilings  it  was  evidently  the  grand 
hall  of  some  famous  Venetian  palace.  There  are  many 
hundred  such  in  this  strange  city,  any  one  of  which  has 
rooms  which  would  grace  the  Louvre  or  Versailles.  In 
the  centre  of  this  great  hall  there  was  a  raised  dais,  and 
upon  it  in  a  half  circle  there  sat  twelve  men  all  clad 
in  black  gowns,  like  those  of  a  Franciscan  monk,  and 
each  with  a  mask  over  the  upper  part  of  his  face. 
A  group  of  armed  men — rough-looking  rascals — were 
standing  round  the  door,  and  amid  them  facing  the 
dais  was  a  young  fellow  in  the  uniform  of  the  light 
infantry.  As  he  turned  his  head  I  recognised  him.  It 
was  Captain  Auret,  of  the  7th,  a  young  Basque  with 
whom  I  had  drunk  many  a  glass  during  the  winter. 
He  was  deadly  white,  poor  wretch,  but  he  held  himself 
manfully  amid  the  assassins  who  surrounded  him.  Never 
shall  I  forget  the  sudden  flash  of  hope  which  shone  in 
his  dark  eyes  when  he  saw  a  comrade  burst  into  the  room, 
or  the  look  of  despair  which  followed  as  he  understood 
that  I  had  come  not  to  change  his  fate  but  to  share  it. 
You  can  think  how  amazed  these  people  were  when  I 
hurled  myself  into  their  presence.  My  pursuers  had 
crowded  in  behind  me  and  choked  the  doorway,  so  that  all 
further  flight  was  out  of  the  question*     It  is  at  such  in- 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  19 
stants  that  my  natui-e  asserts  itself.  With  dignity  I  ad- 
vanced toward  the  tribunal.  My  jacket  was  torn,  my 
hair  was  dishevelled,  my  head  was  bleeding,  but  there  was 
that  in  my  eyes  and  in  my  carriage  which  made  them 
realise  that  no  common  man  was  before  them.  Not  a 
hand  was  raised  to  arrest  me  until  I  halted  in  front  of  a 
formidable  old  man,  whose  long  grey  beard  and  master- 
ful manner  told  me  that  both  by  years  and  by  character 
he  was  the  man  in  authority. 

"Sir,"  said  I,  "you  will,  perhaps,  tell  me  why  I  have 
been  forcibly  arrested  and  brought  to  this  place.  I  am 
an  honourable  soldier,  as  is  this  other  gentleman  here, 
and  I  demand  that  you  will  instantly  set  us  both  at  lib- 
erty." 

There  was  an  appalling  silence  to  my  appeal.  It  was 
not  pleasant  to  have  twelve  masked  faces  turned  upon 
you  and  to  see  twelve  pairs  of  vindictive  Italian  eyes  fixed 
with  fierce  intentness  upon  your  face.  But  I  stood  as  a 
debonair  soldier  should,  and  I  could  not  but  reflect  how 
much  credit  I  was  bringing  upon  the  Hussars  of  Conflans 
by  the  dignity  of  my  bearing.  I  do  not  think  that  any- 
one could  have  carried  himself  better  under  such  difficult 
circumstances.  I  looked  with  a  fearless  face  from  one 
assassin  to  another,  and  I  waited  for  some  reply. 


20         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

It  was  the  grey-beard  who  at  last  broke  the  silence. 

"Who  is  this  man?"  he  asked. 

"His  name  is  Gerard,"  said  the  little  steward  at  the 
door. 

"Colonel  Gerard,"  said  I.  "I  will  not  deceive  you.  I 
am  Etienne  Gerard,  the  Colonel  Gerard,  five  times  men- 
tioned in  despatches  and  recommended  for  the  sword  of 
honour.  I  am  aide-de-camp  to  General  Suchet,  and  I  de- 
mand my  instant  release,  together  with  that  of  my  com- 
rade in  arms." 

The  same  terrible  silence  fell  upon  the  assembly,  and 
the  same  twelve  pairs  of  merciless  eyes  were  bent  upon 
my  face.     Again  it  was  the  grey-beard  who  spoke. 

"He  is  out  of  his  order.  There  are  two  names  upon  our 
list  before  him." 

"He  escaped  from  our  hands  and  burst  into  the 
room." 

"Let  him  await  his  turn.  Take  him  down  to  the  wood- 
en cell." 

"If  he  resist  us,  your  Excellency  .f*" 

"Bury  your  knives  in  his  body.  The  tribunal  will 
uphold  you.  Remove  him  until  we  have  dealt  with  the 
others." 

They  advanced  upon  me,  and  for  an  instant  I  thought 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  21 

of  resistance.  It  would  have  been  a  heroic  death,  but  who 
was  there  to  see  it  or  to  chronicle  it?  I  might  be  only 
postponing  my  fate,  and  yet  I  had  been  in  so  many  bad 
places  and  come  out  unhurt  that  I  had  learned  always  to 
hope  and  to  trust  my  star.  I  allowed  these  rascals  to  seize 
me,  and  I  was  led  from  the  room,  the  gondolier  walking 
at  my  side  with  a  long  naked  knife  in  his  hand.  I  could 
see  in  his  brutal  eyes  the  satisfaction  which  it  would  give 
him  if  he  could  find  some  excuse  for  plunging  it  into  my 
body. 

They  are  wonderful  places,  these  great  Venetian 
houses,  palaces,  and  fortresses,  and  prisons  all  in  one.  I 
was  led  along  a  passage  and  down  a  bare  stone  stair  un- 
til we  came  to  a  short  corridor  from  which  three  doors 
opened.  Through  one  of  these  I  was  thrust  and  the 
spring  lock  closed  behind  me.  The  only  light  came  dimly 
through  a  small  grating  which  opened  on  the  passage. 
Peering  and  feeling,  I  carefully  examined  the  chamber 
in  which  I  had  been  placed.  I  understood  from  what  I 
had  heard  that  I  should  soon  have  to  leave  it  again  in 
order  to  appear  before  this  tribunal,  but  still  it  is  not  my 
nature  to  throw  away  any  possible  chances. 

The  stone  floor  of  the  cell  was  so  damp  and  the  walls 
for  some  feet  high  were  so  slimy  and  foul  that  it  was  evi- 


22         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

dent  they  were  beneath  the  level  of  the  water.  A  single 
slanting  hole  high  up  near  the  ceiling  was  the  only  aper- 
ture for  light  or  air.  Through  it  I  saw  one  bright  star 
shining  down  upon  me,  and  the  sight  filled  me  with  com- 
fort and  with  hope.  I  have  never  been  a  man  of  religion, 
though  I  have  always  had  a  respect  for  those  who  were, 
but  I  remember  that  night  that  the  star  shining  down  the 
shaft  seemed  to  be  an  all-seeing  eye  which  was  upon  me, 
and  I  felt  as  a  young  and  frightened  recruit  might  feel 
in  battle  when  he  saw  the  calm  gaze  of  his  colonel  turned 
upon  him. 

Three  of  the  sides  of  my  prison  were  formed  of  stone, 
but  the  fourth  was  of  wood,  and  I  could  see  that  it  had 
only  recently  been  erected.  Evidently  a  partition  had 
been  thrown  up  to  divide  a  single  large  cell  into  two 
smaller  ones.  There  was  no  hope  for  me  in  the  old  walls, 
in  the  tiny  window,  or  in  the  massive  door.  It  was  only 
in  this  one  direction  of  the  wooden  screen  that  there  was 
any  possibility  of  exploring.  My  reason  told  me  that  if 
I  should  pierce  it — which  did  not  seem  very  difficult — it 
would  only  be  to  find  myself  in  another  cell  as  strong  as 
that  in  which  I  then  was.  Yet  I  had  always  rather  be 
doing  something  than  doing  nothing,  so  I  bent  all  my 
attention  and  all  my  energies  upon  the  wooden  wall.    Two 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  23 

planks  were  badlj  joined,  and  so  loose  that  I  was  certain 
I  could  easily  detach  them.  I  searched  about  for  some 
tool,  and  I  found  one  in  the  leg  of  a  small  bed  which 
stood  in  the  corner.  I  forced  the  end  of  this  into  the 
chink  of  the  planks,  and  I  was  about  to  twist  them  out- 
ward when  the  sound  of  rapid  footsteps  caused  me  to 
pause  and  to  listen. 

I  wish  I  could  forget  what  I  heurd.  Many  a  hundred 
men  have  I  seen  die  in  battle,  and  I  have  slain  more  my- 
self than  I  care  to  think  of,  but  all  that  was  fair  fight  and 
the  duty  of  a  soldier.  It  was  a  very  different  matter  to 
listen  to  a  murder  in  this  den  of  assassins.  They  were 
pushing  someone  along  the  passage,  someone  who  re- 
sisted and  who  clung  to  my  door  as  he  passed.  They 
must  have  taken  him  into  the  third  cell,  the  one  which 
was  farthest  from  me.  "Help !  Help !"  cried  a  voice,  and 
then  I  heard  a  blow  and  a  scream.  "Help !  Help !"  cried 
the  voice  again,  and  then  "Gerard !  Colonel  Gerard !"  It 
was  my  poor  captain  of  infantry  whom  they  were  slaught- 
ering. "Murderers!  Murderers!"  I  yelled,  and  I 
kicked  at  my  door,  but  again  I  heard  him  shout  and  then 
everything  was  silent.  A  minute  later  there  was  a  heavy 
splash,  and  I  knew  that  no  human  eye  would  ever  see 
Auret  again.    He  had  gone  as  a  hundred  others  had  gone 


M         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

whose  names  were  missing  from  the  roll-calls  of  their  regi- 
ments during  that  winter  in  Venice. 

The  steps  returned  along  the  passage,  and  I  thought 
that  they  were  coming  for  me.  Instead  of  that  they 
opened  the  door  of  the  cell  next  to  mine  and  they  took 
someone  out  of  it.  I  heard  the  steps  die  away  up  the  stair. 
At  once  I  renewed  my  work  upon  the  planks,  and  with- 
in a  very  few  minutes  I  had  loosened  them  in  such  a  way 
that  I  could  remove  and  replace  them  at  pleasure.  Pass- 
ing through  the  aperture  I  found  myself  in  the  farther 
cell,  which,  as  I  expected,  was  the  other  half  of  the  one 
in  which  I  had  been  confined.  I  was  not  any  nearer  to 
escape  than  I  had  been  before,  for  there  was  no  other 
wooden  wall  which  I  could  penetrate  and  the  spring  lock 
of  the  door  had  been  closed.  There  were  no  traces  to 
show  who  was  my  companion  in  misfortune.  Closing  the 
two  loose  planks  behind  me  I  returned  to  my  own  cell  and 
waited  there  with  all  the  courage  which  I  could  com- 
mand for  the  summons  which  would  probably  be  my 
death  knell. 

It  was  a  long  time  in  coming,  but  at  last  I  heard  the 
sound  of  feet  once  more  in  the  passage,  and  I  nerved  my- 
self to  listen  to  some  other  odious  deed  and  to  hear  the 
cries  of  the  poor  victim.     Nothing  of  the  kind  occurred, 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  25 
however,  and  the  prisoner  was  placed  in  the  cell  without 
violence.  I  had  no  time  to  peep  through  my  hole  of  com- 
munication, for  next  moment  my  own  door  was  flung 
open  and  my  rascally  gondolier,  with  the  other  assassins, 
came  into  the  cell. 

"Come,  Frenchman,"  said  he.  He  held  his  blood- 
stained knife  in  his  great,  hairy  hand,  and  I  read  in  his 
fierce  eyes  that  he  only  looked  for  some  excuse  in  order 
to  plunge  it  into  my  heart.  Resistance  was  useless.  I 
followed  without  a  word.  I  was  led  up  the  stone  stair  and 
back  into  that  gorgeous  chamber  in  which  I  had  left  the 
secret  tribunal.  I  was  ushered  in,  but  to  my  surprise  it 
was  not  on  me  that  their  attention  was  fixed.  One  of  their 
own  number,  a  tall,  dark  young  man,  was  standing  be- 
fore them  and  was  pleading  with  them  in  low,  earnest 
tones.  His  voice  quivered  with  anxiety  and  his  hands 
darted  in  and  out  or  writhed  together  in  an  agony  of  en- 
treaty. "You  cannot  do  it !  You  cannot  do  it !"  he  cried. 
"I  implore  the  tribunal  to  reconsider  this  decision." 

"Stand  aside,  brother,"  said  the  old  man  who  presided. 
*'The  case  is  decided  and  another  is  up  for  judgment." 

"For  Heaven's  sake  be  merciful!"  cried  the  young 
man. 

"We  have  already  been  merciful,"  the  other  answered. 


S6         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

*'Death  would  have  been  a  small  penalty  for  such  an  of- 
fence.   Be  silent  and  let  judgment  take  its  course." 

I  saw  the  young  man  throw  himself  in  an  agony  of 
grief  into  his  chair.  I  had  no  time,  however,  to  speculate 
as  to  what  it  was  which  was  troubling  him,  for  his  eleven 
colleagues  had  already  fixed  their  stern  eyes  upon  me. 
The  moment  of  fate  had  arrived. 

*'  You  are  Colonel  Gerard  ?''  said  the  tenible  old 
man. 

"I  am." 

"Aide-de-camp  to  the  robber  who  calls  himself  General 
Suchet,  who  in  turn  represents  that  arch-robber  Buona- 
parte.?" 

It  was  on  my  lips  to  tell  him  that  he  was  a  liar,  but 
there  is  a  time  to  argue  and  a  time  to  be  silent. 

"I  am  an  honourable  soldier,"  said  I.  "I  have  obeyed 
my  orders  and  done  my  duty." 

The  blood  flushed  into  the  old  man's  face  and  his  eyes 
blazed  through  his  mask. 

"You  are  thieves  and  murderers,  every  man  of  you," 
he  cried.  "What  are  you  doing  here?  You  are  French- 
men. Why  are  you  not  in  France  .f^  Did  we  invite  you 
to  Venice?  By  what  right  are  you  here?  Where  are  our 
pictures?    Where  are  the  horses  of  St.  Mark?    Who  are 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  27 

you  that  you  should  pilfer  those  treasures  which  our 
fathers  through  so  many  centuries  have  collected?  We 
were  a  great  city  when  France  was  a  desert.  Your 
drunken,  brawling,  ignorant  soldiers  have  undone  the 
work  of  saints  and  heroes.     What  have  you  to  say  to 

it  r 

He  was,  indeed,  a  formidable  old  man,  for  his  white 
beard  bristled  with  fury  and  he  barked  out  the  little  sen- 
tences like  a  savage  hound.  For  my  part  I  could  have 
told  him  that  his  pictures  would  be  safe  in  Paris,  that  his 
horses  were  really  not  worth  making  a  fuss  about,  and 
that  he  could  see  heroes — ^I  say  nothing  of  saints — ^with- 
out going  back  to  his  ancestors  or  even  moving  out  of  his 
chair.  All  this  I  could  have  pointed  out,  but  one  might 
as  well  argue  with  a  Mameluke  about  religion.  I 
shrugged  my  shoulders  and  said  nothing. 

"The  prisoner  has  no  defence,"  said  one  of  my  masked 
judges.  5^ 

"Has  any  one  any  observation  to  make  before  judg- 
ment is  passed.?"  The  old  man  glared  round  him  at  the 
others. 

"There  is  one  matter,  /our  Excellency,"  said  another. 
"It  can  scarce  be  referred  to  without  reopening  a  broth- 
er's wounds,  but  I  would  remind  you  that  there  is  a  very 


2S         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 
particular  reason  why  an  exemplary  punishment  should 
be  inflicted  in  the  case  of  this  officer." 

"I  had  not  forgotten  it,"  the  old  man  answered. 
"Brother,  if  the  tribunal  has  injured  you  in  one  direction, 
it  will  give  you  ample  satisfaction  in  another." 

The  young  man  w^ho  had  been  pleading  when  I  entered 
the  room  staggered  to  his  feet. 

"I  cannot  endure  it,"  he  cried.  "Your  Excellency  must 
forgive  me.  The  tribunal  can  act  without  me.  I  am  ill. 
I  am  mad."  He  flung  his  hands  out  with  a  furious  ges- 
ture and  rushed  from  the  room. 

"Let  him  go !  Let  him  go !"  said  the  president.  "It  is, 
indeed,  more  than  can  be  asked  of  flesh  and  blood  that  he 
should  remain  under  this  roof.  But  he  is  a  true  Venetian, 
and  when  the  first  agony  is  over  he  will  understand  that 
it  could  not  be  otherwise." 

I  had  been  forgotten  during  this  episode,  and  though 
I  am  not  a  man  who  is  accustomed  to  being  overlooked  I 
should  have  been  all  the  happier  had  they  continued  to 
neglect  me.  But  now  the  old  president  glared  at  me 
again  like  a  tiger  who  comes  back  to  his  victim. 

"You  shall  pay  for  it  all,  and  it  is  but  justice  that  you 
should,"  he  said.  "You,  an  upstart  adventurer  and  for- 
eigner, have  dared  to  raise  your  eyes  in  love  to  the  grand- 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  29 

daughter  of  a  Doge  of  Venice  who  was  already  betrothed 
to  the  heir  of  the  Loredans.  He  who  enjoys  such  prit  i- 
leges  must  pay  a  price  for  them."  ^ 

"It  cannot  be  higher  than  they  are  worth,"  said  I. 

"You  will  tell  us  that  when  you  have  made  a  part  pay- 
ment," said  he.  "Perhaps  your  spirit  may  not  be  so  proud 
by  that  time.  Matteo,  you  will  lead  this  prisoner  to  the 
wooden  cell.  To-night  is  Monday.  Let  him  have  no 
food  or  water,  and  let  him  be  led  before  the  tribunal 
again  on  Wednesday  night.  We  shall  then  decide  upon 
the  death  which  he  is  to  die." 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  prospect,  and  yet  it  was  a  re- 
prieve. One  is  thankful  for  small  mercies  when  a  hairy 
savage  with  a  blood-stained  knife  is  standing  at  one's  el- 
bow. He  dragged  me  from  the  room  and  I  was  thrust 
down  the  stairs  and  back  into  my  cell.  The  door  was 
locked  and  I  was  left  to  my  reflections. 

My  first  thought  was  to  establish  connection  with  my 
neighbour  in  misfortune.  I  waited  until  the  steps  had 
died  away,  and  then  I  cautiously  drew  aside  the  two 
boards  and  peeped  through.  The  light  was  very  dim, 
so  dim  that  I  could  only  just  discern  a  figure  huddled  in 
the  corner,  and  I  could  hear  the  low  whisper  of  a  voice 
which  prayed  as  one  prays  who  is  in  deadly  fear.     The 


30         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

boards  must  have  made  a  creaking.     There  was  a  sharp 
exclamation  of  surprise. 

"Courage,  friend,  courage !"  I  cried.  "All  is  not  lost. 
Keep  a  stout  heart,  for  Etienne  Gerard  is  by  your  side." 

"Etienne!"  It  was  a  woman's  voice  which  spoke — a 
voice  which  was  always  music  to  my  ears.  I  sprang 
through  the  gap  and  I  flung  my  arms  round  her. 
"Lucia!     Lucia!"  I  cried. 

It  was  "Etienne !"  and  "Lucia !"  for  some  minutes,  for 
one  does  not  make  speeches  at  moments  like  that.  It  was 
she  who  came  to  her  senses  first. 

"Oh,  Etienne,  they  will  kill  you.  How  came  you  into 
their  hands?" 

"In  answer  to  your  letter." 

"I  wrote  no  letter." 

"The  cunning  demons!     But  you?'* 

"I  came  also  in  answer  to  your  letter." 

"Lucia,  I  wrote  no  letter." 

"They  have  trapped  us  both  with  the  same  bait." 

"I  care  nothing  about  myself,  Lucia.  Besides,  there  is 
no  pressing  danger  with  me.  They  have  simply  returned 
me  to  my  cell." 

"Oh,  Etienne,  Etienne,  they  will  kill  you.  Lorenzo  is 
there." 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  31 

"The  old  greybeard?" 

"No,  no,  a  young  dark  man.  He  loved  me,  and  I 
thought  I  loved  him  until — until  I  learned  what  love 
is,  Etienne.  He  will  never  forgive  you.  He  has  a  heart 
of  stone." 

"Let  them  do  what  they  like.  They  cannot  rob  me 
of  the  past,  Lucia.    But  you — what  about  you?" 

"It  will  be  nothing,  Etienne.  Only  a  pang  for  an  in- 
stant and  then  all  over.  They  mean  it  as  a  badge  of 
infamy,  dear,  but  I  will  carry  it  like  a  crown  of  honour 
since  it  was  through  you  that  I  gained  it." 

Her  words  froze  my  blood  with  horror.  All  my  ad- 
ventures were  insignificant  compared  to  this  terrible  shad- 
ow which  was  creeping  over  my  soul. 

"Lucia!  Lucia!"  I  cried.  "For  pity's  sake  tell  me 
what  these  butchers  are  about  to  do.  TeU  me,  Lucia  i 
TeUme!"  r 

"I  will  not  tell  you,  Etienne,  for  it  would  hurt  you  far 
more  than  it  would  me.  Well,  well,  I  will  tell  you  lest  you 
should  fear  it  was  something  worse.  The  president  has 
ordered  that  my  ear  be  cut  off,  that  I  may  be  marked  for 
ever  as  having  loved  a  Frenchman." 

Her  ear!  The  dear  little  ear  which  I  had  kissed  so 
often.    I  put  my  hand  to  each  little  velvet  shell  to  make 


3^         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

certain  that  this  sacrilege  had  not  yet  been  committed. 
Only  over  my  dead  body  should  they  reach  them.  I  swore 
it  to  her  between  my  clenched  teeth. 

"You  must  not  care,  Etienne.  And  yet  I  love  that  you 
should  care  all  the  same." 

"They  shall  not  hurt  you — the  fiends !" 

"I  have  hopes,  Etienne.  Lorenzo  is  there.  He  was  si- 
lent while  I  was  judged,  but  he  may  have  pleaded  for  me 
after  I  was  gone." 

"He  did.     I  heard  him." 

"Then  he  may  have  softened  their  hearts.'^ 

I  knew  that  it  was  not  so,  but  how  could  I  bring  myself 
to  tell  her.?  I  might  as  well  have  done  so,  for  with  the 
quick  instinct  of  woman  my  silence  was  speech  to  her. 

"They  would  not  listen  to  him !  You  need  not  fear  to 
tell  me,  dear,  for  you  will  find  that  I  am  worthy  to  be 
loved  by  such  a  soldier.    Where  is  Lorenzo  now.'^" 

"He  left  the  haU." 

"Then  he  may  have  left  the  house  as  well." 

"I  believe  that  he  did." 

"He  has  abandoned  me  to  my  fate.  Etienne,  Etienne, 
they  are  coming!" 

Afar  off  I  heard  those  fateful  steps  and  the  jingle  of 
distant  keys.     What  were  they  coming  for  now,  since 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  33 

there  were  no  other  prisoners  to  drag  to  judgment?  It 
could  only  be  to  carry  out  the  sentence  upon  my  darling. 
I  stood  between  her  and  the  door,  with  the  strength  of  a 
lion  in  my  limbs.  I  would  tear  the  house  down  before 
they  should  touch  her. 

"Go  back !  Go  back !"  she  cried.  "They  will  murder 
you,  Etienne.  My  life,  at  least,  is  safe.  For  the  love 
you  bear  me,  Etienne,  go  back.  It  is  nothing.  I  will 
make  no  sound.    You  will  not  hear  that  it  is  done." 

She  wrestled  with  me,  this  delicate  creature,  and  by 
main  force  she  dragged  me  to  the  opening  between  the 
cells.    But  a  sudden  thought  had  crossed  my  mind. 

"We  may  yet  be  saved,"  I  whispered.  "Do  what  I  tell 
you  at  once  and  without  argument.  Go  into  my  cell. 
Quick!" 

I  pushed  her  through  the  gap  and  helped  her  to  re- 
place the  planks.  I  had  retained  her  cloak  in  my  hands, 
and  with  this  wrapped  round  me  I  crept  into  the  darkest 
corner  of  her  cell.  There  I  lay  when  the  door  was  opened 
and  several  men  came  in.  I  had  reckoned  that  they  would 
bring  no  lantern,  for  they  had  none  with  them  before. 
To  their  eyes  I  was  only  a  dark  blur  in  the  corner. 

"Bring  a  light,"  said  one  of  them. 

"No,  no ;  curse  it !"  cried  a  rough  voice,  which  I  knew 


34         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

to  be  that  of  the  ruffian,  Matteo.  "It  is  not  a  job  that  I 
like,  and  the  more  I  saw  it  the  less  I  should  like  it.  I  am 
sorry,  signora,  but  the  order  of  the  tribunal  has  to  be 
obeyed." 

My  impulse  was  to  spring  to  my  feet  and  to  rush 
through  them  all  and  out  by  the  open  door.  But  how 
would  that  help  Lucia  ?  Suppose  that  I  got  clear  away, 
she  would  be  in  their  hands  until  I  could  come  back  with 
help,  for  single-handed  I  could  not  hope  to  clear  a  way 
for  her.  All  this  flashed  through  my  mind  in  an  instant, 
and  I  saw  that  the  only  course  for  me  was  to  lie  still,  take 
what  came,  nnd  wait  my  chance.  The  fellow's  coarse 
hand  felt  about  among  my  curls — those  curls  in  which 
only  a  woman's  fingers  had  ever  wandered.  The  next  in- 
stant he  gripped  my  ear  and  a  pain  shot  through  me  as  if 
I  had  been  touched  with  a  hot  iron.  I  bit  my  lip  to  stifle 
a  cry,  and  I  felt  the  blood  run  warm  down  my  neck  and 
back. 

''There,  thank  Heaven,  that's  over,"  said  the  fellow, 
giving  me  a  friendly  pat  on  the  head.  "You're  a  brave 
girl,  signora,  I'll  say  that  for  you,  and  I  only  wish  you'd 
have  better  taste  than  to  love  a  Frenchman.  You  can 
blame  him  and  not  me  for  what  I  have  done." 

What  could  I  do  save  to  lie  still  and  grind  my  teeth 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  35 

at  my  own  helplessness  ?  At  the  same  time  my  pain  and 
my  rage  were  always  soothed  by  the  reflection  that  I  had 
suff^ered  for  the  woman  whom  I  loved.  It  is  the  custom 
of  men  to  say  to  ladies  that  they  would  willingly  endure 
any  pain  for  their  sake,  but  it  was  my  privilege  to  show 
that  I  had  said  no  more  than  I  meant.  I  thought  also 
how  nobly  I  would  seem  to  have  acted  if  ever  the  story 
came  to  be  told,  and  how  proud  the  regiment  of  Conflans 
might  well  be  of  their  colonel.  These  thoughts  helped 
me  to  suffer  in  silence  while  the  blood  still  trickled  over 
my  neck  and  dripped  upon  the  stone  floor.  It  was  that 
sound  which  nearly  led  to  my  destruction. 

"She's  bleeding  fast,"  said  one  of  the  valets.  "You 
had  best  fetch  a  surgeon  or  you  will  find  her  dead  in  the 
morning." 

"She  lies  very  still  and  she  has  never  opened  her 
mouth,"  said  another.    "The  shock  has  killed  her." 

"Nonsense;  a  young  woman  does  not  die  so  easily." 
It  was  Matteo  who  spoke.  "Besides,  I  did  but  snip  off 
enough  to  leave  the  tribunal's  mark  upon  her.  Rouse 
up,  signora,  rouse  up !" 

He  shook  me  by  the  shoulder,  and  my  heart  stood  still 
for  fear  he  should  feel  the  epaulet  under  the  mantle. 

"How  is  it  with  you  now?"  he  asked. 


36         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

I  made  no  answer. 

^* Curse  it,  I  wish  I  had  to  do  with  a  man  instead  of 
a  woman,  and  the  fairest  woman  in  Venice,"  said  the 
gondolier.  "Here,  Nicholas,  lend  me  your  handker- 
chief and  bring  a  light." 

It  was  all  over.  The  worst  had  happened.  Nothing 
could  save  me.  I  still  crouched  in  the  corner,  but  I  was 
tense  in  every  muscle,  like  a  wild  cat  about  to  spring. 
If  I  had  to  die  I  was  determined  that  my  end  should 
be  worthy  of  my  life. 

One  of  them  had  gone  for  a  lamp  and  Matteo  was 
stooping  over  me  with  a  handkerchief.  In  another  in- 
stant my  secret  would  be  discovered.  But  he  suddenly 
drew  himself  straight  and  stood  motionless.  At  the 
same  instant  there  came  a  confused  murmuring  sound 
through  the  little  window  far  above  my  head.  It  was 
the  rattle  of  oars  and  the  buzz  of  many  voices.  Then 
there  was  a  crash  upon  the  door  upstairs,  and  a  ter- 
rible voice  roared:  "Open!  Open  in  the  name  of  the 
Emperor !" 

The  Emperor !  It  was  like  the  mention  of  some  saint 
which,  by  its  very  sound,  can  frighten  the  demons. 
Away  they  ran  with  cries  of  terror — Matteo,  the  valets, 
the  steward,  all  of  the  murderous  gang.    Another  shout 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  37 

and  then  the  crash  of  a  hatchet  and  the  splintering  of 
planks.  There  were  the  rattle  of  arms  and  the  cries 
of  French  soldiers  in  the  hall.  Next  instant  feet  came 
flying  down  the  stair  and  a  man  burst  frantically  into 
my  cell. 

"Lucia!"  he  cried,  "Lucia!"  He  stood  in  the  dim 
light,  panting  and  unable  to  find  his  words.  Then  he 
broke  out  again.  "Have  I  not  shown  you  how  I  love 
you,  Lucia?  What  more  could  I  do  to  prove  it?  I 
have  betrayed  my  country,  I  have  broken  my  vow,  I 
have  ruined  my  friends,  and  I  have  given  my  life  in 
order  to  save  you."  ^ 

It  was  young  Lorenzo  Loredan,  the  lover  whom  I 
had  superseded.  My  heart  was  heavy  for  him  at  the 
time,  but  after  all  it  is  every  man  for  himself  in  love, 
and  if  one  fails  in  the  game  it  is  some  consolation  to 
lose  to  one  who  can  be  a  graceful  and  considerate  win- 
ner. I  was  about  to  point  this  out  to  him,  but  at  the 
first  word  I  uttered  he  gave  a  shout  of  astonishment, 
and,  rushing  out,  he  seized  the  lamp  which  hung  in  the 
corridor  and  flashed  it  in  my  face. 

"It  is  you,  you  villain !"  he  cried.  "You  French  cox- 
comb. You  shall  pay  me  for  the  wrong  which  you  have 
done  me.'* 


SS         THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

But  the  next  instant  he  saw  the  pallor  of  my  face 
and  the  blood  which  was  still  pouring  from  my  head. 

"What  is  this?"  he  asked.  "How  come  you  to  have 
lost  your  ear.^^" 

I  shook  off  my  weakness,  and  pressing  my  handker- 
chief to  my  wound  I  rose  from  my  couch,  the  debonair 
colonel  of  Hussars. 

"My  injury,  sir,  is  nothing.  With  your  permission 
we  will  not  allude  to  a  matter  so  trifling  and  so  per- 
sonal." 

But  Lucia  had  burst  through  from  her  cell  and  was 
pouring  out  the  whole  story  while  she  clasped  Lorenzo's 
arm. 

"This  noble  gentleman — ^he  has  taken  my  place,  Lo- 
renzo! He  has  borne  it  for  me.  He  has  suffered  that 
I  might  be  saved." 

I  could  sympathise  with  the  struggle  which  I  could 
see  in  the  Italian's  face.  At  last  he  held  out  his  hand 
to  me. 

"Colonel  Gerard,"  he  said,  "you  are  worthy  of  a 
great  love.  I  forgive  you,  for  if  you  have  wronged 
me  you  have  made  a  noble  atonement.  But  I  wonder 
to  see  you  alive.  I  left  the  tribunal  before  you  were 
judged,  but  I  understood  that  no  mercy  would  be  shown 


HOW  BRIGADIER  GERARD  LOST  HIS  EAR  39 

to  any  Frenchman  since  the  destruction  of  the  orna- 
ments of  Venice." 

"He  did  not  destroy  them,"  cried  Lucia.  "He  has 
helped  to  preserve  those  in  our  palace." 

"One  of  them,  at  any  rate,"  said  I,  as  I  stooped  and 
kissed  her  hand. 

This  was  the  way,  my  friends,  in  which  I  lost  my 
ear.  Lorenzo  was  found  stabbed  to  the  heart  in  the 
Piazza  of  St.  Mark  within  two  days  of  the  night  of  my 
adventure.  Of  the  tribunal  and  its  ruffians,  Matteo  and 
three  others  were  shot,  the  rest  banished  from  the  town. 
Lucia,  my  lovely  Lucia,  retired  into  a  convent  at  Mu- 
rano  after  the  French  had  left  the  city,  and  there  she 
still  may  be,  some  gentle  lady  abbess  who  has  perhaps 
long  forgotten  the  days  when  our  hearts  throbbed  to- 
gether, and  when  the  whole  great  world  seemed  so  small 
a  thing  beside  the  love  which  burned  in  our  veins.  Or 
perhaps  it  may  not  be  so.  Perhaps  she  has  not  for- 
I  gotten.     There  may  still  be  times  when  the  peace  of  the 

cloister  is  broken  by  the  memory  of  the  old  soldier  who 
loved  her  in  those  distant  days.  Youth  is  past  and  pas- 
sion is  gone,  but  the  soul  of  the  gentleman  can  never 
change,  and  still  Etienne  Gerard  would  bow  his  grey 
head  before  her  and  would  very  gladly  lose  his  other 
ear  if  he  might  do  her  a  service. 


I 

/ 

! 
II 

Sow  the  Brigadier  Captured  Sai^agossa 

Have  I  ever  told  you,  my  friends,  the  circumstances 
connected  with  my  joining  the  Hussars  of  Conflans  at 
the  time  of  the  siege  of  Saragossa  and  the  very  remark- 
able exploit  which  I  performed  in  connection  with  the 
taking  of  that  city  ?  No  ?  Then  you  have  indeed  some- 
thing still  to  learn.  I  will  tell  it  to  you  exactly  as  it 
occurred.  Save  for  two  or  three  men  and  a  score  or 
two  of  women,  you  are  the  first  who  have  ever  heard 
the  story. 

You  must  know,  then,  that  it  was  in  the  Second  Hus- 
sars— called  the  Hussars  of  Chamberan — that  I  had 
served  as  a  lieutenant  and  as  a  junior  captain.  At  the 
time  I  speak  of  I  was  only  twenty-five  years  of  age,  as 
reckless  and  desperate  a  man  as  any  in  that  great  army. 
It  chanced  that  the  war  had  come  to  a  halt  in  Germany,  ! 
while  it  was  still  raging  in  Spain,  so  the  Emperor,  wish* 
ing  to  reinforce  the  Spanish  army,  transferred  me  as 
senior  captain  to  the  Hussars  of  Conflans,  which  were 

41 


42         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

at  that  time  in  the  Fifth  Army  Corps  under  Marshal 
Lannes. 

It  was  a  long  journey  from  Berlin  to  the  Pyrenees. 
My  new  regiment  formed  part  of  the  force  which,  under 
Marshal  Lannes,  was  then  besieging  the  Spanish  town 
of  Saragossa.  I  turned  my  horse's  head  in  that  direc- 
tion, therefore,  and  behold  me  a  week  or  so  later  at  the 
French  headquarters,  whence  I  was  directed  to  the  camp 
of  the  Hussars  of  Conflans. 

You  have  read,  no  doubt,  of  this  famous  siege  of 
Saragossa,  and  I  will  only  say  that  no  general  could 
have  had  a  harder  task  than  that  with  which  Marshal 
Lannes  was  confronted.  The  immense  city  was  crowded 
with  a  horde  of  Spaniards — soldiers,  peasants,  priests 
• — all  filled  with  the  most  furious  hatred  of  the  French, 
and  the  most  savage  determination  to  perish  before  they 
would  surrender.  There  were  eighty  thousand  men  in 
the  town  and  only  thirty  thousand  to  besiege  them.  Yet 
we  had  a  powerful  artillery,  and  our  engineers  were  of 
the  best.  There  was  never  such  a  siege,  for  it  is  usual 
that  when  the  fortifications  are  taken  the  city  falls,  but 
here  it  was  not  until  the  fortifications  were  taken  that 
the  real  fighting  began.  Every  house  was  a  fort  and 
every  street  a  battle-field,  so  that  slowly,  day  by  day, 


HOW  HE   CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA        43 

we  had  to  work  our  way  inwards,  blowing  up  the  houses 
with  their  garrisons  until  more  than  half  the  city  had 
disappeared.  Yet  the  other  half  was  as  determined  as 
ever  and  in  a  better  position  for  defence,  since  it  con- 
sisted of  enormous  convents  and  monasteries  with  walls 
like  the  Bastille,  which  could  not  be  so  easily  brushed 
out  of  our  way.  This  was  the  state  of  things  at  the 
time  that  I  joined  the  army,  ^ 

I  will  confess  to  you  that  cavalry  are  not  of  much 
use  in  a  siege,  although  there  was  a  time  when  I  would 
not  have  permitted  anyone  to  have  made  such  an  ob- 
servation. The  Hussars  of  Conflans  were  encamped  to 
the  south  of  the  town,  and  it  was  their  duty  to  throw 
out  patrols  and  to  make  sure  that  no  Spanish  force  was 
advancing  from  that  quarter.  The  colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment was  not  a  good  soldier,  and  the  regiment  was  at 
that  time  very  far  from  being  in  the  high  condition 
which  it  afterwards  attained.  Even  in  that  one  even- 
ing I  saw  several  things  which  shocked  me,  for  I  had 
a  high  standard,  and  it  went  to  my  heart  to  see  an  ill- 
arranged  camp,  an  ill-groomed  horse,  or  a  slovenly 
trooper.  That  night  I  supped  with  twenty-six  of  my 
new  brother-officers,  and  I  fear  that  in  my  zeal  I  showed 
them  only  too  plainly  that  I  found  tilings  very  diifer- 


44         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

ent  to  what  I  was  accustomed  in  the  army  of  Germany. 
There  was  silence  in  the  mess  after  my  remarks,  and  I 
felt  that  I  had  been  indiscreet  when  I  saw  the  glances 
that  were  cast  at  me.  The  colonel  especially  was  furi- 
ous, and  a  great  major  named  Olivier,  who  was  the  fire- 
eater  of  the  regiment,  sat  opposite  to  me  curling  his 
huge  black  moustaches,  and  staring  at  me  as  if  he  would 
eat  me.  However,  I  did  not  resent  his  attitude,  for  I 
felt  that  I  had  indeed  been  indiscreet,  and  that  it  would 
give  a  bad  impression  if  upon  this  my  first  evening  I 
quarrelled  with  my  superior  officer. 

So  far  I  admit  that  I  was  wrong,  but  now  I  come  to 
the  sequel.  Supper  over,  the  colonel  and  some  other 
officers  left  the  room,  for  it  was  in  a  farm-house  that  the 
mess  was  held.  There  remained  a  dozen  or  so,  and  a 
goat-skin  of  Spanish  wine  having  been  brought  in  we 
all  made  merry.  Presently  this  Major  Olivier  asked 
me  some  questions  concerning  the  army  of  Germany 
and  as  to  the  part  which  I  had  myself  played  in  the 
campaign.  Flushed  with  the  wine,  I  was  drawn  on 
from  story  to  story.  It  was  not  unnatural,  my  friends. 
You  will  sympathise  with  me.  Up  there  I  had  been  the 
model  for  every  officer  of  my  years  in  the  army.  I  was 
the  first  swordsman,  the  most  dashing  rider,  the  hero 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA       45 

of  a  hundred  adventures.  Here  I  found  myself  not 
only  unknown,  but  even  disliked.  Was  it  not  natural 
that  I  should  wish  to  tell  these  brave  comrades  what 
sort  of  man  it  was  that  had  come  among  them.?  Was 
it  not  natural  that  I  should  wish  to  say,  "Rejoice,  my 
friends,  rejoice!  It  is  no  ordinary  man  who  has  joined 
you  to-night,  but  it  is  I,  the  Gerard,  the  hero  of  Ratis- 
bon,  the  victor  of  Jena,  the  man  who  broke  the  square 
at  Austerlitz" .''  I  could  not  say  all  this.  But  I  could 
at  least  tell  them  some  incidents  which  would  enable 
them  to  say  it  for  themselves.  I  did  so.  They  listened 
unmoved.  I  told  them  more.  At  last,  after  my  tale  of 
how  I  had  guided  the  army  across  the  Danube,  one  uni- 
versal shout  of  laughter  broke  from  them  all.  I  sprang 
to  my  feet,  flushed  with  shame  and  anger.  They  had 
drawn  me  on.  They  were  making  game  of  me.  They 
were  convinced  that  they  had  to  do  with  a  braggart  and 
a  liar.  Was  this  my  reception  in  the  Hussars  of  Con- 
flans.?  I  dashed  the  tears  of  mortification  from  my 
eyes,  and  they  laughed  the  more  at  the  sight. 

"Do  you  know,  Captain  Pelletan,  whether  Marshal 
Lannes  is  still  with  the  army?"  asked  the  major. 

"I  believe  that  he  is,  sir,"  said  the  other. 

"Really,   I   should  have  thought  that  his  presence 


46         THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

was  hardly  necessary  now  that  Captain  Gerard  has 
arrived." 

Again  there  was  a  roar  of  laughter.  I  can  see  the 
ring  of  faces,  the  mocking  eyes,  the  open  mouths — 
Olivier  with  his  great  black  bristles,  Pelletan  thin  and 
sneering,  even  the  young  sub-lieutenants  convulsed  with 
merriment.  Heavens,  the  indignity  of  it !  But  my  rage 
had  dried  my  tears.  I  was  myself  again,  cold,  quiet, 
self-contained,  ice  without  and  fire  within. 

"May  I  ask,  sir,"  said  I  to  the  major,  "at  what  hour 
the  regiment  is  paraded?" 

"I  trust.  Captain  Gerard,  that  you  do  not  mean  to 
alter  our  hours,"  said  he,  and  again  there  was  a  burst 
of  laughter,  which  died  away  as  I  looked  slowly  round 
the  circle. 

"What  hour  is  the  assembly.?"  I  asked,  sharply,  of 
Captain  Pelletan. 

Some  mocking  answer  was  on  his  tongue,  but  my 
glance  kept  it  there.  "The  assembly  is  at  six,"  he 
answered. 

"I  thank  you,"  said  I.  I  then  counted  the  company 
and  found  that  I  had  to  do  with  fourteen  officers,  two 
of  whom  appeared  to  be  bo3^s  fresh  from  St.  Cyr.  I 
could  not  condescend  to  take  any  notice  of  their  indis- 


HOW  HE  CAPTUHEB  SARAGOSSA       47 

cretion.  There  remained  the  major,  four  captains,  and 
seven  lieutenants. 

"Gentlemen,"  I  continued,  looking  from  one  to  the 
other  of  them,  "I  should  feci  myself  unworthy  of  this 
famous  regiment  if  I  did  not  ask  you  for  satisfaction 
for  the  rudeness  with  which  you  have  greeted  me,  and 
I  should  hold  you  to  be  unworthy  of  it  if  on  any  pre- 
text you  refused  to  grant  it." 

"You  will  have  no  difficulty  upon  that  score,"  said 
the  major.  "I  am  prepared  to  waive  my  rank  and  to 
give  you  every  satisfaction  in  the  name  of  the  Hussars 
of  Conflans." 

"I  thank  you,"  I  answered.  "I  feel,  however,  that 
I  have  some  claim  upon  these  other  gentlemen  who 
laughed  at  my  expense." 

"Whom  would  you  fight,  then?"  asked  Captain  Pel- 
letan. 

"All  of  you,"  I  answered- 

They  looked  in  surprise  from  one  to  the  other.  Then 
they  drew  off  to  the  other  end  of  the  room,  and  I  heard 
the  buzz  of  their  whispers.  They  were  laughing.  Evi- 
dently they  still  thought  that  they  had  to  do  with  some 
empty  braggart.     Then  they  returned. 

"Your  request  is  unusual,"  said  Major  Olivier,  "but 


48        ME  ADVENTURES  OP  GERARD 

it  will  be  granted.  How  do  you  propose  to  conduct 
such  a  duel?     The  terms  lie  with  you." 

"Sabres,"  said  I.  "And  I  will  take  you  in  order  of 
seniority,  beginning  with  you.  Major  Olivier,  at  five 
o'clock.  I  will  thus  be  able  to  devote  five  minutes  to 
each  before  the  assembly  is  blown.  I  must,  however, 
beg  you  to  have  the  courtesy  to  name  the  place  of  meet- 
ing, since  I  am  still  ignorant  of  the  locality." 

They  were  impressed  by  my  cold  and  practical  man- 
ner. Already  the  smile  had  died  away  from  their  lips. 
Olivier's  face  was  no  longer  mocking,  but  it  was  dark 
and  stern. 

"There  is  a  small  open  space  behind  the  horse  lines," 
said  he.  "We  have  held  a  few  affairs  of  honour  there 
and  it  has  done  very  well.  We  shall  be  there,  Captain 
Gerard,  at  the  hour  you  name." 

I  was  in  the  act  of  bowing  to  thank  them  for  their 
acceptance  when  the  door  of  the  mess-room  was  flung 
open  and  the  colonel  hurried  into  the  rooi^i,  with  an  agi- 
tated face. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "I  have  been  asked  to  call  for 
a  volunteer  from  among  you  for  a  service  which  involves 
the  greatest  possible  danger.  I  will  not  disguise  from 
you  that  the  matter  is  serious  in  the  last  degree,  and 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA        49 

that  Marshal  Lannes  has  chosen  a  cavalry  officer  be- 
cause he  can  be  better  spared  than  an  officer  of  infantry 
or  of  engineers.  Married  men  are  not  eligible.  Of  the 
others,  who  will  volunteer?" 

I  need  not  say  that  all  the  unmarried  officers  stepped 
to  the  front.  The  colonel  looked  round  in  some  embar- 
rassment. I  could  see  his  dilemma.  It  was  the  best 
man  who  should  go,  and  yet  it  was  the  best  man  whom 
he  could  least  spare. 

"Sir,"  said  I^  "may  I  be  permitted  to  make  a  sug- 
gestion ?" 

He  looked  at  me  with  a  hard  eye.  He  had  not 
forgotten  my  observations  at  supper.  "Speak!" 
said  he. 

"I  would  point  out,  sir,"  said  I,  "that  this  mission 
is  mine  both  by  right  and  by  convenience." 

"Why  so,  Captain  Gerard.?" 

"By  right  because  I  am  the  senior  captain.  By  con- 
venience because  I  shall  not  be  missed  in  the  reg- 
iment, since  the  men  have  not  yet  learned  to  know 
me." 

The  colonel's  features  relaxed. 

"There  is  certainly  truth  in  what  you  say,  Captain 
Gerard,"  said  he.     "I  think  that  you  are  indeed  best 


50         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

fitted  to  go  upon  this  mission.  If  you  will  come  with 
me  I  will  give  you  your  instructions." 

I  wished  my  new  comrades  good-night  as  I  left  the 
room,  and  I  repeated  that  I  should  hold  myself  at  their 
disposal  at  five  o'clock  next  morning.  They  bowed  in 
silence,  and  I  thought  that  I  could  see  from  the  expres- 
sion of  their  faces  that  they  had  already  begun  to  take 
a  more  just  view  of  my  character. 

I  had  expected  that  the  colonel  would  at  once  inform 
me  what  it  was  that  I  had  been  chosen  to  do,  but  instead 
of  that  he  walked  on  in  silence,  I  following  behind  him. 
We  passed  through  the  camp  and  made  our  way  across 
the  trenches  and  over  the  ruined  heaps  of  stones  which 
marked  the  old  wall  of  the  town.  Within,  there  was  a 
labyrinth  of  passages  formed  among  the  debris  of  the 
houses  which  had  been  destroyed  by  the  mines  of  the 
engineers.  Acres  and  acres  were  covered  with  splin- 
tered walls  and  piles  of  brick  which  had  once  been  a 
populous  suburb.  Lanes  had  been  driven  through  it 
and  lanterns  placed  at  the  corners  with  inscriptions  to 
direct  the  wayfarer.  The  colonel  hurried  onward  until 
at  last,  after  a  long  walk,  we  found  our  way  barred  by 
a  high  grey  wall  which  stretched  right  across  our  path. 
Here  behind  a  barricade  lay  our  advance  guard.     The 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA   51 

colonel  led  me  into  a  roofless  house,  and  there  I  found 
two  general  officers,  a  map  stretched  over  a  drum  in 
front  of  them,  they  kneeling  beside  it  and  examining 
it  carefully  by  the  light  of  a  lantern.  The  one  with 
the  clean-shaven  face  and  the  twisted  neck  was  Marshal 
Lannes,  the  other  was  General  Razout,  the  head  of  the 
engineers. 

"Captain  Gerard  has  volunteered  to  go,"  said  the 
colonel. 

Marshal  Lannes  rose  fi^m  his  knees  and  shook  me 
by  the  hand. 

"You  are  a  brave  man,  sir,"  said  he.  "I  have  a 
present  to  make  to  you,"  he  added,  handing  me  a  very 
tiny  glass  tube.  "It  has  been  specially  prepared  by 
Dr.  Fardet.  At  the  supreme  moment  you  have  but 
to  put  it  to  your  lips  and  you  will  be  dead  in  an 
instant." 

This  was  a  cheerful  beginning.  I  will  confess  to  you, 
my  friends,  that  a  cold  chill  passed  up  my  back  and  my 
hair  rose  upon  my  head. 

"Excuse  me,  sir,"  said  I,  as  I  saluted,  "I  am  aware 
that  I  have  volunteered  for  a  service  of  great  danger, 
but  the  exact  details  have  not  yet  been  given  to  me." 

"Colonel  Perrin,"  said  Lannes,  severely,  "it  is  unfair 


52         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

to  allow  this  brave  officer  to  volunteer  before  he  has 
learned  what  the  perils  are  to  which  he  will  be  exposed." 

But  already  I  was  myself  once  more. 

"Sir,"  said  I,  "permit  me  to  remark  that  the  greater 
the  danger  the  greater  the  glory,  and  that  I  could  only 
repent  of  volunteering  if  I  found  that  there  were  no 
risks  to  be  run." 

It  was  a  noble  speech,  and  my  appearance  gave  force 
to  my  words.  For  the  moment  I  was  a  heroic  figure. 
As  I  saw  Lannes's  eyes  fixed  in  admiration  upon  my  face 
it  thrilled  me  to  think  how  splendid  was  the  debut  which 
I  was  making  in  the  army  of  Spain.  If  I  died  that 
night  my  name  would  not  be  forgotten.  My  new  com- 
rades and  my  old,  divided  in  all  else,  would  still  have  a 
point  of  union  in  their  love  and  admiration  of  Etienne 
Gerard. 

"General  Razout,  explain  the  situation !"  said  Lannes, 
briefly. 

The  engineer  officer  rose,  his  compasses  in  his  hand. 
He  led  me  to  the  door  and  pointed  to  the  high  grey  wall 
which  towered  up  amongst  the  debris  of  the  shattered 
houses. 

"That  is  the  enemy's  present  line  of  defence,"  said 
he.     "It  is  the  wall  of  the  great  Convent  of  the  Ma- 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAG0S9A       63 

donna.  If  we  can  carry  it  the  city  must  fall,  but  they 
have  run  countermines  all  round  it,  and  the  walls  are 
so  enormously  thick  that  it  would  be  an  immense  labour 
to  breach  it  with  artillery.  We  happen  to  know,  how- 
ever, that  the  enemy  have  a  considerable  store  of  pow- 
der in  one  of  the  lower  chambers.  If  that  could  be 
exploded  the  way  would  be  clear  for  us." 

"How  can  it  be  reached?"  I  asked. 

"I  will  explain.  We  have  a  French  agent  within  the 
town  named  Hubert.  This  brave  man  has  been  in  con- 
stant communication  with  us,  and  he  had  promised  to  ex- 
plode the  magazine.  It  was  to  be  done  in  the  early  morn- 
ing, and  for  two  days  running  we  have  had  a  storming 
party  of  a  thousand  Grenadiers  waiting  for  the  breach 
to  be  formed.  But  there  has  been  no  explosion,  and  for 
these  two  days  we  have  had  no  communication  from  Hu- 
bert.   The  question  is,  what  has  become  of  him.^^" 

"You  wish  me  to  go  and  see  .f*"  -' 

"Precisely.  Is  he  ill,  or  wounded,  or  dead?  Shall  we 
still  wait  for  him,  or  shall  we  attempt  the  attack  else- 
where? We  cannot  determine  this  until  we  have  heard 
from  him.  This  is  a  map  of  the  town,  Captain  Gerard. 
You  perceive  that  within  this  ring  of  convents  and  mon- 
asteries are  a  number  of  streets  which  branch  off  from  a 


54        THE  ABVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

central  square.  If  you  come  so  far  as  this  square  you 
will  find  the  cathedral  at  one  corner.  In  that  corner  is 
I  the  street  of  Toledo.  Hubert  lives  in  a  small  house  be- 
tween a  cobbler's  and  a  wine-shop,  on  the  right-hand 
side  as  you  go  from  the  cathedral.    Do  you  follow  me.^^" 

"Clearly." 

"You  are  to  reach  that  house,  to  see  him,  and  to  find 
out  if  his  plan  is  still  feasible  or  if  we  must  abandon  it." 
He  produced  what  appeared  to  be  a  roll  of  dirty  brown 
flannel.  "This  is  the  dress  of  a  Franciscan  friar,"  said 
he.    "You  will  find  it  the  most  useful  disguise." 

I  shrank  away  from  it. 

"It  turns  me  into  a  spy,"  I  cried.  "Surely  I  can  go 
in  my  uniform  .f*" 

"Impossible!  How  could  you  hope  to  pass  through 
the  streets  of  the  city.'^  Remember,  also,  that  the  Span- 
iards take  no  prisoners,  and  that  your  fate  will  be  the 
same  in  whatever  dress  you  are  taken." 

It  was  true,  and  I  had  been  long  enough  in  Spain  to 
know  that  that  fate  was  likely  to  be  something  more  se- 
rious than  mere  death.  All  the  way  from  the  frontier  I 
had  heard  grim  tales  of  torture  and  mutilation.  I  envel- 
oped myself  in  the  Franciscan  gown. 

"Now  I  am  ready." 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA       55 

"Are  you  armed?" 

"My  sabre." 

"They  will  hear  it  clank.  Take  this  knife,  and  leave 
your  sword.  Tell  Hubert  that  at  four  o'clock,  before 
dawn,  the  storming  party  will  again  be  ready.  There  is 
a  sergeant  outside  who  will  show  you  how  to  get  into  the 
city.    Good-night,  and  good  luck !" 

Before  I  had  left  the  room,  the  two  generals  had  their 
cocked  hats  touching  each  other  over  the  map.  At  the 
door  an  under-officer  of  engineers  was  waiting  for  me» 
I  tied  the  girdle  of  my  gown,  and  taking  off  my  busby,  I 
drew  the  cowl  over  my  head.  My  spurs  I  removed.  Then 
in  silence  I  followed  my  guide. 

It  was  necessary  to  move  with  caution,  for  the  walls 
above  were  lined  by  the  Spanish  sentries,  who  fired  down 
continually  at  our  advance  posts.  Slinking  along  under 
the  very  shadow  of  the  great  convent,  we  picked  our  way 
slowly  and  carefully  among  the  piles  of  ruins  until  we 
came  to  a  large  chestnut  tree.  Here  the  sergeant  stopped. 

"It  is  an  easy  tree  to  climb,"  said  he.  "A  scaling  lad- 
der would  not  be  simpler.  Go  up  it,  and  you  will  find 
that  the  top  branch  will  enable  you  to  step  upon  the  roof 
of  that  house.  After  that  it  is  your  guardian  angel 
who  must  be  your  guide,  for  I  can  help  you  no  more," 


56         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

Girding  up  the  heavy  brown  gown,  I  ascended  the  tree 
as  directed.  A  half  moon  was  shining  brightly,  and  the 
line  of  roof  stood  out  dark  and  hard  against  the  purple, 
starry  sky.  The  tree  was  in  the  shadow  of  the  house. 
Slowly  I  crept  from  branch  to  branch  until  I  was  near  the 
top.  I  had  but  to  climb  along  a  stout  limb  in  order  to 
reach  the  wall.  But  suddenly  my  ears  caught  the  patter 
of  feet,  and  I  cowered  against  the  trunk  and  tried  to 
blend  myself  with  its  shadow.  A  man  was  coming  toward 
me  on  the  roof.  I  saw  his  dark  figure  creeping  along, 
his  body  crouching,  his  head  advanced,  the  barrel  of  his 
gun  protruding.  His  whole  bearing  was  full  of  caution 
and  suspicion.  Once  or  twice  he  paused,  and  then  came 
on  again  until  he  had  reached  the  edge  of  the  parapet 
within  a  few  yards  of  me.  Then  he  knelt  down,  levelled 
his  musket,  and  fired. 

I  was  so  astonished  at  this  sudden  crash  at  my  very 
elbow  that  I  nearly  fell  out  of  the  tree.  For  an  instant  I 
could  not  be  sure  that  he  had  not  hit  me.  But  when  I 
heard  a  deep  groan  from  below,  and  the  Spaniard  leaned 
over  the  parapet  and  laughed  aloud,  I  understood  what 
had  occurred.  It  was  my  poor,  faithful  sergeant,  who 
had  waited  to  see  the  last  of  me.  The  Spaniard  had  seen 
him  standing  under  the  tree  and  had  shot  him.     You 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA        57 

will  think  that  it  was  good  shooting  in  the  dark,  but 
these  people  used  trabucos,  or  blunderbusses,  which  were 
filled  up  with  all  sorts  of  stones  and  scraps  of  metal,  so 
that  they  would  hit  you  as  certainly  as  I  have  hit  a  pheas- 
ant on  a  branch.  The  Spaniard  stood  peering  down 
through  the  darkness,  while  an  occasional  groan  from 
below  showed  that  the  sergeant  was  still  living.  The 
sentry  looked  round  and  everything  was  still  and  safe. 
Perhaps  he  thought  that  he  would  like  to  finish  off  this 
accursed  Frenchman,  or  perhaps  he  had  a  desire  to  see 
what  was  in  his  pockets ;  but  whatever  his  motive,  he  laid 
down  his  gun,  leaned  forward,  and  swung  himself  into 
the  tree.  The  same  instant  I  buried  my  knife  in  his 
body,  and  he  fell  with  a  loud  crashing  through  the 
branches  and  came  with  a  thud  to  the  ground.  I  heard 
a  short  struggle  below  and  an  oath  or  two  in  French. 
The  wounded  sergeant  had  not  waited  long  for  his  ven- 
geance. 

For  some  minutes  I  did  not  dare  to  move,  for  it  seemed 
certain  that  someone  would  be  attracted  by  the  noise. 
However,  all  was  silent  save  for  the  chimes  striking  mid- 
night in  the  city.  I  crept  along  the  branch  and  lifted 
myself  on  to  the  roof.  The  Spaniard's  gun  was  l3dng 
there,  but  it  was  of  no  service  to  me,  since  he  had  the 


58         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

powder-horn  at  his  belt.  At  the  same  time,  if  it  were 
found,  it  would  warn  the  enemy  that  something  had 
happened,  so  I  thought  it  best  to  drop  it  over  the:  wall. 
Then  I  looked  round  for  the  means  of  getting  off  the 
roof  and  down  into  the  city. 

It  was  very  evident  that  the  simplest  way  by  which 
I  could  get  down  was  that  by  which  the  sentinel  had 
got  up,  and  what  this  was  soon  became  evident.  A  voice 
along  the  roof  called  "Manuelo!  Manuelo!"  several 
times,  and,  crouching  in  the  shadow,  I  saw  in  the  moon- 
light a  bearded  head,  which  protruded  from  a  trap- 
door. 

Receiving  no  answer  to  his  summons,  the  man 
climbed  through,  followed  by  three  other  fellows,  all 
armed  to  the  teeth.  You  will  see  here  how  important  it 
is  not  to  neglect  small  precautions,  for  had  I  left  the 
man's  gun  where  I  found  it,  a  search  must  have  followed 
and  I  should  certainly  have  been  discovered.  As  it  was, 
the  patrol  saw  no  sign  of  their  sentry,  and  thought,  no 
doubt,  that  he  liad  moved  along  the  line  of  the  roofs. 
They  hurried  on,  therefore,  in  that  direction,  and  I,  the 
instant  that  their  backs  were  turned,  rushed  to  the  open 
trap-door  and  descended  the  flight  of  steps  which  led 
from  it.    The  house  appeared  to  be  an  empty  one,  for  I 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA        59 

passed  through  the  heart  of  it  and  out,  by  an  open  door, 
into  the  street  beyond. 

It  was  a  narrow  and  deserted  lane,  but  it  opened  into 
a  broader  road,  which  was  dotted  with  fires,  round  which 
a  great  number  of  soldiers  and  peasants  were  sleeping. 
The  smell  within  the  city  was  so  horrible  that  one  won- 
dered how  people  could  live  in  it,  for  during  the  months 
that  the  siege  had  lasted  there  had  been  no  attempt  to 
cleanse  the  streets  or  to  bury  the  dead.  Many  people 
were  moving  up  and  down  from  fire  to  fire,  and  among 
them  I  observed  several  monks.  Seeing  that  they  came 
and  went  unquestioned,  I  took  heart  and  hurried  on  my 
way  in  the  direction  of  the  great  square.  Once  a  man 
rose  from  beside  one  of  the  fires  and  stopped  me  by  seiz- 
ing my  sleeve.  He  pointed  to  a  woman  who  lay  motion- 
less on  the  road,  and  I  took  him  to  mean  that  she  was 
dying,  and  that  he  desired  me  to  administer  the  last 
offices  of  the  Church.  I  sought  refuge,  however,  in  the 
very  little  Latin  that  was  left  to  me.  "Ora  pro  nobis,'* 
said  I,  from  the  depths  of  my  cowl.  "Te  Deum  laud- 
amus,  Ora  pro  nobis.'*  I  raised  my  hand  as  I  spoke 
and  pointed  forward.  The  fellow  released  my  sleeve 
and  shrank  back  in  silence,  while  I,  with  a  solemn  ges- 
ture, hurried  upon  my  way. 


60         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

As  I  had  imagined,  this  broad  boulevard  led  out  into 
the  central  square,  which  was  full  of  troops  and  blazing 
with  fires.  I  walked  swiftly  onward,  disregarding  one 
or  two  people  who  addressed  remarks  to  me.  I  passed 
the  cathedral  and  followed  the  street  which  had  been  de- 
scribed to  me.  Being  upon  the  side  of  the  city  which 
was  farthest  from  our  attack,  there  were  no  troops  en- 
camped in  it,  and  it  lay  in  darkness,  save  for  an  occa- 
sional glimmer  in  a  window.  It  was  not  difficult  to  find 
the  house  to  which  I  had  been  directed,  between  the  wine- 
shop and  the  cobbler's.  There  was  no  light  within  and 
the  door  was  shut.  Cautiously  I  pressed  the  latch,  and 
I  felt  that  it  had  yielded.  Who  was  within  I  could  not 
tell,  and  yet  I  must  take  the  risk.  I  pushed  the  door 
open  and  entered. 

It  was  pitch-dark  within — the  more  so  as  I  had  closed 
the  door  behind  me.  I  felt  round  and  came  upon  the 
edge  of  a  table.  Then  I  stood  still  and  wondered  what  I 
should  do  next,  and  how  I  could  gain  some  news  of  this 
Hubert,  in  whose  house  I  found  myself.  Any  mistake 
would  cost  me  not  only  my  life  but  the  failure  of  my 
mission.  Perhaps  he  did  not  live  alone.  Perhaps  he  was 
only  a  lodger  in  a  Spanish  family,  and  my  visit  might 
bring  ruin  to  him  as  well  as  to  myself.     Seldom  in  my 


HOW  HE   CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA        61 

life  have  I  been  more  perplexed.  And  then,  suddenly, 
something  turned  my  blood  cold  in  my  veins.  It  was  a 
voice,  a  whispering  voice,  in  my  very  ear.  "ilfow  Dieu!*' 
cried  the  voice,  in  a  tone  of  agony.  "OA,  man  Dieu! 
mon  Dieur^  Then  there  was  a  dry  sob  in  the  darkness, 
and  all  was  still  once  more. 

It  thrilled  me  with  horror,  that  terrible  voice,  but  it 
thrilled  me  also  with  hope,  for  it  was  the  voice  of  a 
Frenchman. 

"Who  is  there.?"  I  asked. 

There  was  a  groaning,  but  no  reply. 

"Is  that  you.  Monsieur  Hubert  ?" 

"Yes,  yes,"  sighed  the  voice,  so  low  that  I  could 
hardly  hear  it.  "Water,  water,  for  Heaven's  sake, 
water !" 

I  advanced  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  but  only  to 
come  in  contact  with  the  wall.  Again  I  heard  a  groan, 
but  this  time  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  it  was  above 
my  head.  I  put  up  my  hands,  but  they  felt  only  empty 
air. 

"Where  are  you?"  I  cried. 

"Here !  Here !"  whispered  the  strange,  tremulous  voice. 
I  stretched  my  hand  along  the  wall  and  I  came  upon  a 
man's  naked  foot.    It  was  as  high  as  my  face,  and  yet, 


62         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

so  far  as  I  could  feel,  it  had  nothing  to  support  it.  I 
staggered  back  in  amazement.  Then  I  took  a  tinder- 
box  from  my  pocket  and  struck  a  light.  At  the  first 
flash  a  man  seemed  to  be  floating  in  the  air  in  front  of 
me,  and  I  dropped  the  box  in  my  amazement.  Again 
with  tremulous  fingers  I  struck  the  flint  against 
the  steel,  and  this  time  I  lit  not  only  the  tinder  but 
the  wax  taper.  I  held  it  up,  and  if  my  amazement  was 
lessened  my  horror  was  increased  by  that  which  it  re- 
vealed. 

The  man  had  been  nailed  to  the  wall  as  a  weasel  is 
nailed  to  the  door  of  a  barn.  Huge  spikes  had  been 
driven  through  his  hands  and  his  feet.  The  poor  wretch 
was  in  his  last  agony,  his  head  sunk  upon  his  shoulder 
and  his  blackened  tongue  protruding  from  his  lips.  He 
was  dying  as  much  from  thirst  as  from  his  wounds,  and 
these  inhuman  wretches  had  placed  a  beaker  of  wine  upon 
the  table  in  front  of  him  to  add  a  fresh  pang  to  his  tor- 
tures. I  raised  it  to  his  lips.  He  had  still  strength 
enough  to  swallow,  and  the  light  came  back  a  little  to 
his  dim  eyes. 

"Are  you  a  Frenchman?"  he  whispered. 

"Yes.  They  have  sent  me  to  learn  what  had  befallen 
you." 


How  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA   6^ 

**Thej  discovered  me.  They  have  killed  me  for  it. 
But  before  I  die  let  me  tell  you  what  I  know.  A  little 
more  of  that  wine,  please !  Quick !  Quick !  I  am  very 
near  the  end.  My  strength  is  going.  Listen  to  me! 
The  powder  is  stored  in  the  Mother  Superior's  room. 
The  wall  is  pierced,  and  the  end  of  the  train  is  in  Sister 
Angela's  cell,  next  the  chapel.  All  was  ready  two  days 
ago.  But  they  discovered  a  letter  and  they  tortured 
me." 

"Good  heavens !  have  you  been  hanging  here  for  two 
days.?" 

"It  seems  like  two  years.  Comrade,  I  have  served 
France,  have  I  not.?  Then  do  one  little  service  for  me. 
Stab  me  to  the  heart,  dear  friend !  I  implore  you,  I  en- 
treat you,  to  put  an  end  to  my  sufferings." 

The  man  was  indeed  in  a  hopeless  plight,  and  the  kind- 
est action  would  have  been  that  for  which  he  begged. 
And  yet  I  could  not  in  cold  blood  drive  my  knife  into 
his  body,  although  I  knew  how  I  should-  have  prayed  for 
such  a  mercy  had  I  been  in  his  place.  But  a  sudden 
thought  crossed  my  mind.  In  my  pocket  I  held  that 
which  would  give  an  instant  and  a  painless  death.  It 
was  my  own  safeguard  against  torture,  and  yet  this  poor 
soul  was  in  very  pressing  need  of  it,  and  he  had  deserved 


64         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

well  of  France.  I  took  out  my  phial  and  emptied  it  into 
the  cup  of  wine.  I  was  in  the  act  of  handing  it  to  him 
when  I  heard  a  sudden  clash  of  arms  outside  the  door. 
In  an  instant  I  put  out  my  light  and  slipped  behind  the 
window-curtains.  Next  moment  the  door  was  flung  open 
and  two  Spaniards  strode  into  the  room,  fierce,  swarthy 
men  in  the  dress  of  citizens,  but  with  muskets  slung  over 
their  shoulders.  I  looked  through  the  chink  in  the  cur- 
tains in  an  agony  of  fear  lest  they  had  come  upon  my 
traces,  but  it  was  evident  that  their  visit  was  simply  in 
order  to  feast  their  eyes  upon  my  unfortunate  com- 
patriot. One  of  them  held  the  lantern  which  he  carried 
up  in  front  of  the  dying  man,  and  both  of  them  burst 
into  a  shout  of  mocking  laughter.  Then  the  eyes  of  the 
man  with  the  lantern  fell  upon  the  flagon  of  wine  upon 
the  table.  He  picked  it  up,  held  it,  with  a  devilish  grin, 
to  the  lips  of  Hubert,  and  then,  as  the  poor  wretch  invol- 
untarily inclined  his  head  forward  to  reach  it,  he 
snatched  it  back  and  took  a  long  gulp  himself.  At  the 
same  instant  he  uttered  a  loud  cry,  clutched  wildly  at  his 
own  throat,  and  fell  stone-dead  upon  the  floor.  His  com- 
rade stared  at  him  in  horror  and  amazement.  Then, 
overcome  by  his  own  superstitious  fears,  he  gave  a  yell  of 
terror  and  rushed  madly  from  the  room.    I  heard  his  feet 


HOW    HE    CAPTURED    SARAGOSSA       65 

clattering  wildly  on  the  cobble-stones  until  the  sound  died 
away  in  the  distance. 

The  lantern  had  been  left  burning  upon  the  table,  and 
by  its  light  I  saw,  as  I  came  out  from  behind  my  curtain, 
that  the  unfortunate  Hubert's  head  had  fallen  forward 
upon  his  chest  and  that  he  also  was  dead.  That  motion 
to  reach  the  wine  with  his  lips  had  been  his  last.  A  clock 
ticked  loudly  in  the  house,  but  otherwise  all  was  abso- 
lutely still.  On  the  wall  hung  the  twisted  form  of  the 
Frenchman,  on  the  floor  lay  the  motionless  body  of  the 
Spaniard,  all  dimly  lit  by  the  horn  lantern.  For  the 
first  time  in  my  life  a  frantic  spasm  of  terror  came  over 
me.  I  had  seen  ten  thousand  men  in  every  conceivable 
degree  of  mutilation  stretched  upon  the  ground,  but  the 
sight  had  never  affected  me  like  those  two  silent  figures 
who  were  my  companions  in  that  shadowy  room.  I  rushed 
into  the  street  as  the  Spaniard  had  done,  eager  only  to 
leave  that  house  of  gloom  behind  me,  and  I  had  run  as 
far  as  the  cathedral  before  my  wits  came  back  to  me. 
There  I  stopped,  panting,  in  the  shadow,  and,  my  hand 
pressed  to  my  side,  I  tried  to  collect  my  scattered  senses 
and  to  plan  out  what  I  should  do.  As  I  stood  there, 
breathless,  the  great  brass  bells  roared  twice  above  my 
bead.    It  was  two  o'clock.    Four  was  the  hour  when  the 


66         THE  ADVENTURES    OF  GERARD 

storming-party  would  be  in  its  place.     I  had  still  two 
hours  in  which  to  act. 

The  cathedral  was  brilliantly  Ht  within,  and  a  number 
of  people  were  passing  in  and  out ;  so  I  entered,  thinking 
that  I  was  less  likely  to  be  accosted  there,  and  that  I 
might  have  quiet  to  form  my  plans.  It  was  certainly  a 
singular  sight,  for  the  place  had  been  turned  into 
an  hospital,  a  refuge,  and  a  store-house.  One  aisle  was 
crammed  with  provisions,  another  was  littered  with  sick 
and  wounded,  while  in  the  centre  a  great  number  of  help- 
less people  had  taken  up  their  abode,  and  had  even  lit 
their  cooking  fires  upon  the  mosaic  floors.  There  were 
many  at  prayer,  so  I  knelt  in  the  shadow  of  a  pillar,  and 
I  prayed  with  all  my  heart  that  I  might  have  the  good 
luck  to  get  out  of  this  scrape  alive,  and  that  I  might  do 
such  a  deed  that  night  as  would  make  my  name  as  famous 
in  Spain  as  it  had  already  become  in  Germany.  I  waited 
until  the  clock  struck  three,  and  then  I  left  the  cathedral 
and  made  my  way  toward  the  Convent  of  the  Madonna, 
where  the  assault  was  to  be  delivered.  You  will  under- 
stand, you  who  know  me  so  well,  that  I  was  not  the  man 
to  return  tamely  to  the  French  camp  with  the  report  that 
our  agent  was  dead  and  that  other  means  must  be  found 
pf  entering  the  city.     Either  I  should  find  some  paeans 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA        67 

to  finish  his  uncompleted  task  or  there  would  be  a 
vacancy  for  a  senior  captain  in  the  Hussars  of  Con- 
flans. 

I  passed  unquestioned  down  the  broad  boulevard, 
which  I  have  already  described,  until  I  came  to  the  great 
stone  convent  which  formed  the  outwork  of  the  defence. 
It  was  built  in  a  square  with  a  garden  in  the  centre.  In 
this  garden  some  hundreds  of  men  were  assembled,  all 
armed  and  ready,  for  it  was  known,  of  course,  within  the 
town  that  this  was  the  point  against  which  the  French 
attack  was  likely  to  be  made.  Up  to  this  time  our  fight- 
ing all  over  Europe  had  always  been  done  between  one 
army  and  another.  It  was  only  here  in  Spain  that  we 
learned  how  terrible  a  thing  it  is  to  fight  against  a  people. 
On  the  one  hand  there  is  no  glory,  for  what  glory  could 
be  gained  by  defeating  this  rabble  of  elderly  shopkeepers, 
ignorant  peasants,  fanatical  priests,  excited  women,  and 
all  the  other  creatures  who  made  up  the  garrison.'*  On 
the  other  hand  there  were  extreme  discomfort  and  dan- 
ger, for  these  people  would  give  you  no  rest,  would  ob- 
serve no  rules  of  war,  and  were  desperately  earnest  in 
their  desire  by  hook  or  by  crook  to  do  you  an  injury.  I 
began  to  realise  how  odious  was  our  task  as  I  looked  upon 
the  motlej  but   ferocious   groups   who  were   gathered 


68         THE    ADVENTURES    OF   GERARD 

round  the  watch-fires  in  the  garden  of  the  Convent  of 
the  Madonna.  It  was  not  for  us  soldiers  to  think  about 
pohtics,  but  from  the  beginning  there  always  seemed  to 
be  a  curse  upon  this  war  in  Spain. 

However,  at  the  moment  I  had  no  time  to  brood  over 
such  matters  as  these.  There  was,  as  I  have  said,  no 
difficulty  in  getting  as  far  as  the  convent  garden,  but  to 
pass  inside  the  convent  unquestioned  was  not  so  easy. 
The  first  thing  which  I  did  was  to  walk  round  the  garden, 
and  I  was  soon  able  to  pick  out  one  large  stained-glass 
window  which  must  belong  to  the  chapel.  I  had  under- 
stood from  Hubert  that  the  Mother  Superior's 
room,  in  which  the  powder  was  stored,  was  near  to 
this,  and  that  the  train  had  been  laid  through  a  hole 
in  the  wall  from  some  neighbouring  cell.  I  must, 
at  all  costs,  get  into  the  convent.  There  was  a  guard 
at  the  door,  and  how  could  I  get  in  without  ex- 
planations.? But  a  sudden  inspiration  showed  me  how 
the  thing  might  be  done.  In  the  garden  was  a  well,  and 
beside  the  well  were  a  number  of  empty  buckets.  I  filled 
two  of  these,  and  approached  the  door.  The  errand 
of  a  man  who  carries  a  bucket  of  water  in  each  hand  does 
not  need  to  be  explained.  The  guard  opened  to  let  me 
through.    I  found  myself  in  a  long,  stone-flagged  corri- 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA       69 

dor,  lit  with  lanterns,  with  the  cells  of  the  nuns  leading 
out  from  one  side  of  it.  Now  at  last  I  was  on  the  high 
road  to  success.  I  walked  on  without  hesitation,  for  I 
knew  by  my  observations  in  the  garden  which  way  to  go 
for  the  chapel. 

A  number  of  Spanish  soldiers  were  lounging  and 
smoking  in  the  corridor,  several  of  whom  addressed  me 
as  I  passed.  I  fancy  it  was  for  my  blessing  that  they 
asked,  and  my  "Ora  pro  nobis"  seemed  to  entirely  satisfy 
them.  Soon  I  had  got  as  far  as  the  chapel,  and  it  was 
easy  enough  to  see  that  the  cell  next  door  was  used  as 
a  magazine,  for  the  floor  was  all  black  with  powder  in 
front  of  it.  The  door  was  shut,  and  two  fierce-looking 
fellows  stood  on  guard  outside  it,  one  of  them  with  a  key 
stuck  in  his  belt.  Had  we  been  alone,  it  would  not  have 
been  long  before  it  would  have  been  in  my  hand,  but  with 
his  comrade  there  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  hope  to 
take  it  by  force.  The  cell  next  door  to  the  magazine  on 
the  far  side  from  the  chapel  must  be  the  one  which  be- 
longed to  Sister  Angela.  It  was  half  open.  I  took  my 
courage  in  both  hands  and,  leaving  my  buckets  in  the  cor- 
ridor, I  walked  unchallenged  into  the  room. 

I  was  prepared  to  find  half  a  dozen  fierce  Spanish 
desperadoes  within,  but  what  actually  met  my  eyes  was 


TO         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

even  more  embarrassing.  The  room  had  apparently 
been  set  aside  for  the  use  of  some  of  the  nuns,  who  for 
some  reason  had  refused  to  quit  their  home.  Three  of 
them  were  within,  one  an  elderly,  stem-faced  dame,  who 
was  evidently  the  Mother  Superior,  the  others,  young 
ladies  of  charming  appearance.  They  were  seated  to- 
gether at  the  far  side  of  the  room,  but  they  all  rose  at 
my  entrance,  and  I  saw  with  some  amazement,  by  their 
manner  and  expressions,  that  my  coming  was  both  wel- 
come and  expected.  In  a  moment  my  presence  of  mind 
had  returned,  and  I  saw  exactly  how  the  matter  lay. 
Naturally,  since  an  attack  was  about  to  be  made  upon 
the  convent,  these  sisters  had  been  expecting  to  be  di- 
rected to  some  place  of  safety.  Probably  they  were 
under  vow  not  to  quit  the  walls,  and  they  had  been  told 
to  remain  in  this  cell  until  they  received  further  orders. 
In  any  case  I  adapted  my  conduct  to  this  supposition, 
since  it  was  clear  that  I  must  get  them  out  of  the  room, 
and  this  would  give  me  a  ready  excuse  to  do  so.  I  first 
cast  a  glance  at  the  door  and  observed  that  the  key  was 
within.  I  then  made  a  gesture  to  the  nuns  to  follow 
me.  The  Mother  Superior  asked  me  some  question,  but 
I  shook  my  head  impatiently  and  beckoned  to  her  again. 
She  hesitated,  but  I  stamped  my  foot  and  called  them 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA       71 

forth  in  so  imperious  a  manner  that  they  came  at  once. 
They  would  be  safer  in  the  chapel,  and  thither  I  led 
them,  placing  them  at  the  end  which  was  farthest  from 
the  magazine.  As  the  three  nuns  took  their  places  be- 
fore the  altar  my  heart  bounded  with  joy  and  pride 
within  me,  for  I  felt  that  the  last  obstacle  had  been 
lifted  from  my  path. 

And  yet  how  often  have  I  not  found  that  that  is  the 
very  moment  of  danger.^  I  took  a  last  glance  at  the 
Mother  Superior,  and  to  my  dismay  I  saw  that  her 
piercing  dark  eyes  were  fixed,  with  an  expression  in 
which  surprise  was  deepening  into  suspicion,  upon  my 
right  hand.  There  were  two  points  which  might  well 
have  attracted  her  attention.  One  was  that  it  was  red 
with  the  blood  of  the  sentinel  whom  I  had  stabbed  in 
the  tree.  That  alone  might  count  for  little,  as  the  knife 
was  as  familiar  as  the  breviary  to  the  monks  of  Sara- 
gossa.  But  on  my  forefinger  I  wore  a  heavy  gold  ring 
— the  gift  of  a  certain  German  baroness  whose  name  I 
may  not  mention.  It  shone  brightly  in  the  light  of  the 
altar  lamp.  Now,  a  ring  upon  a  friar's  hand  is  an  im- 
possibility, since  they  are  vowed  to  absolute  poverty. 
I  turned  quickly  and  made  for  the  door  of  the  chapel, 
but  the  mischief  was  done.     As  I  glanced  back  I  saw 


72         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

that  the  Mother  Superior  was  already  hurrying  after 
me.  I  ran  through  the  chapel  door  and  along  the  cor- 
ridor, but  she  called  out  some  shrill  warning  to  the  two 
guards  in  front.  Fortunately  I  had  the  presence  of 
mind  to  call  out  also,  and  to  point  down  the  passage 
as  if  we  were  both  pursuing  the  same  object.  Next 
instant  I  had  dashed  past  them,  sprang  into  the  cell, 
slammed  the  heavy  door,  and  fastened  it  upon  the  in- 
side. With  a  bolt  above  and  below  and  a  huge  lock  in 
the  centre  it  was  a  piece  of  timber  that  would  take  some 
forcing. 

Even  now  if  they  had  had  the  wit  to  put  a  barrel  of 
powder  against  the  door  I  should  have  been  ruined.  It 
was  their  only  chance,  for  I  had  come  to  the  final  stage 
of  my  adventure.  Here  at  last,  after  such  a  string  of 
dangers  as  few  men  have  ever  lived  to  talk  of,  I  was  at 
one  end  of  the  powder  train,  with  the  Saragossa  maga- 
zine at  the  other.  They  were  howling  like  wolves  out 
in  the  passage,  and  muskets  were  crashing  against  the 
door.  I  paid  no  heed  to  their  clamour,  but  I  looked 
eagerly  around  for  that  train  of  which  Hubert  had 
spoken.  Of  course,  it  must  be  at  the  side  of  the  room 
next  to  the  magazine.  I  crawled  along  it  on  my  hands 
and  knees,  looking  into  every  crevice,  but  no  sign  could 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA        73 

I  see.  Two  bullets  flew  through  the  door  and  flattened 
themselves  against  the  wall.  The  thudding  and  smash- 
ing grew  ever  louder.  I  saw  a  grey  pile  in  a  corner, 
flew  to  it  with  a  cry  of  joy,  and  found  that  it  was  only 
dust.  Then  I  got  back  to  the  side  of  the  door  where  no 
bullets  could  ever  reach  me — ^they  were  streaming  freely 
into  the  room — and  I  tried  to  forget  this  fiendish  howl- 
ing in  my  ear  and  to  think  out  where  this  train  could 
be.  It  must  have  been  carefully  laid  by  Hubert  lest 
these  nuns  should  see  it.  I  tried  to  imagine  how  I 
should  myself  have  arranged  it  had  I  been  in  his  place. 
My  eye  was  attracted  by  a  statue  of  St.  Joseph  which 
stood  in  the  corner.  There  was  a  wreath  of  leaves  along 
the  edge  of  the  pedestal,  with  a  lamp  burning  amidst 
them.  I  rushed  across  to  it  and  tore  the  leaves  aside. 
Yes,  yes,  there  was  a  thin  black  line,  which  disappeared 
through  a  small  hole  in  the  wall.  I  tilted  over  the  lamp 
and  threw  myself  on  the  ground.  Next  instant  came  a 
roar  like  thunder,  the  walls  wavered  and  tottered  around 
me,  the  ceiling  clattered  down  from  above,  and  over  the 
yell  of  the  terrified  Spaniards  was  heard  the  terrific 
shout  of  the  storming  column  of  Grenadiers.  As  in  a 
dream — a  happy  dream — I  heard  it,  and  then  I  heard 
no  more. 


74         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

When  I  came  to  my  senses  two  French  soldiers  were 
propping  me  up,  and  my  head  was  singing  hke  a  kettle. 
I  staggered  to  my  feet  and  looked  around  me.  The 
plaster  had  fallen,  the  furniture  was  scattered,  and  there 
were  rents  in  the  bricks,  but  no  signs  of  a  breach.  In 
fact,  the  walls  of  the  convent  had  been  so  solid  that  the 
explosion  of  the  magazine  had  been  insufficient  to  throw 
them  down.  On  the  other  hand,  it  had  caused  such  a 
panic  among  the  defenders  that  our  stormers  had  been 
able  to  carry  the  windows  and  throw  open  the  doors 
almost  without  assistance.  As  I  ran  out  into  the  cor- 
ridor I  found  it  full  of  troops,  and  I  met  Marshal 
Lannes  himself,  who  was  entering  with  his  staff.  He 
stopped  and  listened  eagerly  to  my  story. 

"Splendid,  Captain  Gerard,  splendid!"  he  cried. 
"These  facts  will  certainly  be  reported  to  the  Em- 
peror." 

"I  would  suggest  to  your  Excellency,"  said  I,  "that 
I  have  only  finished  the  work  that  was  planned  and  car- 
ried out  by  Monsieur  Hubert,  who  gave  his  life  for  the 
cause." 

"His  services  will  not  be  forgotten,"  said  the  Mar- 
shal. "Meanwhile,  Captain  Gerard,  it  is  half-past  four, 
and  you  must  be  starving  after  such  a  night  of  cxer- 


HOW  HE   CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA        75 

tion.  My  staif  and  I  will  breakfast  inside  the  city.  I 
assure  you  that  you  will  be  an  honoured  guest." 

"I  will  follow  your  Excellency,"  said  I.  "There  is 
a  small  engagement  wliich  detains  me." 

He  opened  his  eyes. 

"At  this  hour.?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  I  answered.  "My  fellow-officers,  whom  I 
never  saw  until  last  night,  will  not  be  content  unless 
they  catch  another  glimpse  of  me  the  first  thing  tliis 
morning." 

''Au  revoir,  then,"  said  Marshal  Lannes,  as  he  passed 
upon  his  way.  5 

I  hurried  through  the  shattered  door  of  the  convent. 
When  I  reached  the  roofless  house  in  which  we  had  held 
the  consultation  the  night  before,  I  threw  off  my  gown 
and  I  put  on  the  busby  and  sabre  which  I  had  left  there. 
Then,  a  Hussar  once  more,  I  hurried  onward  to  the 
grove  which  was  our  rendezvous.  My  brain  was  still 
reeling  from  the  concussion  of  the  powder,  and  I  was 
exhausted  by  the  many  emotions  which  had  shaken  me 
during  that  terrible  night.  It  is  like  a  dream,  all  that 
walk  in  the  first  dim  grey  light  of  dawn,  with  the 
smouldering  camp-fires  around  me  and  the  buzz  of  the 
waking  army.     Bugles  and  drums  in  every  direction 


76         THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

were  mustering  the  infantry,  for  the  explosion  and  the 
shouting  had  told  their  own  tale.  I  strode  onward 
until,  as  I  entered  the  little  clump  of  cork  oaks  behind 
the  horse  lines,  I  saw  my  twelve  comrades  waiting  in  a 
group,  their  sabres  at  their  sides.  They  looked  at  me 
curiously  as  I  approached.  Perhaps  with  my  powder- 
blackened  face  and  my  blood-stained  hands  I  seemed  a 
different  Gerard  to  the  young  captain  whom  they  had 
made  game  of  the  night  before. 

"Good  morning,  gentlemen,"  said  I.  "I  regret  ex- 
ceedingly if  I  have  kept  you  waiting,  but  I  have  not 
been  master  of  my  own  time." 

They  said  nothing,  but  they  still  scanned  me  with 
curious  eyes.  I  can  see  them  now,  standing  in  a  line 
before  me,  tall  men  and  short  men,  stout  men  and  thin 
men :  Olivier,  with  his  warlike  moustache ;  the  thin,  eager 
face  of  Pelletan ;  young  Oudin,  flushed  by  his  first  duel ; 
Mortier,  with  the  sword-cut  across  his  wrinkled  brow. 
I  laid  aside  my  busby  and  drew  my  sword. 

"I  have  one  favour  to  ask  you,  gentlemen,"  said  I. 
"Marshal  Lannes  has  invited  me  to  breakfast  and  I  can- 
not keep  him  waiting." 

"What  do  you  suggest.''"  asked  Major  Olivier. 

"That  you  release  me  from  my  promise  to  give  you 


HOW  HE  CAPTURED  SARAGOSSA  77 
^\e  minutes  each,  and  that  you  will  permit  me  to  attack 
you  all  together."     I  stood  upon  my  guard  as  I  spoke. 

But  their  answer  was  truly  beautiful  and  truly 
French.  With  one  impulse  the  twelve  swords  flew  from 
their  scabbards  and  were  raised  in  salute.  There  they 
stood,  the  twelve  of  them,  motionless,  their  heels  together, 
each  with  his  sword  upright  before  his  face. 

I  staggered  back  from  them.  I  looked  from  one  to 
the  other.  For  an  instant  I  could  not  believe  my  own 
eyes.  They  were  paying  me  homage,  these,  the  men 
who  had  jeered  me!  Then  I  understood  it  all.  I  saw 
the  effect  that  I  had  made  upon  them  and  their  desire 
to  make  reparation.  When  a  man  is  weak  he  can  steel 
himself  against  danger,  but  not  against  emotion.  "Com- 
rades," I  cried,  "comrades — !"  but  I  could  say  no  more. 
Something  seemed  to  take  me  by  the  throat  and  choke 
me.  And  then  in  an  instant  Olivier's  arms  were  round 
me,  Pelletan  had  seized  me  by  the  right  hand,  Mortier 
by  the  left,  some  were  patting  me  on  the  shoulder,  some 
were  clapping  me  on  the  back,  on  every  side  smiling 
faces  were  looking  into  mine ;  and  so  it  was  that  I  knew 
that  I  had  won  my  footing  in  the  Hussars  of  Conflans. 


in 

How  the  Brigadier  Slew  the  Fox* 

In  all  the  great  hosts  of  France  there  was  only  one 
officer  toward  whom  the  English  of  Wellington's  Army 
retained  a  deep,  steady,  and  unchangeable  hatred. 
There  were  plunderers  among  the  French,  and  men  of 
violence,  gamblers,  duellists,  and  roues.  All  these  could 
be  forgiven,  for  others  of  their  kidney  were  to  be  found 
among  the  ranks  of  the  English.  But  one  officer  of 
Massena's  force  had  committed  a  crime  which  was  un- 
speakable, unheard  of,  abominable;  only  to  be  alluded 
to  with  curses  late  in  the  evening,  when  a  second  bottle 
had  loosened  the  tongues  of  men.  The  news  of  it  was 
carried  back  to  England,  and  country  gentlemen  who 
knew  little  of  the  details  of  the  war  grew  crimson  with  pas- 
sion when  they  heard  of  it,  and  yeomen  of  the  shires 
raised  freckled  fists  to  Heaven  and  swore.  And  yet  who 
should  be  the  doer  of  this  dreadful  deed  but  our  friend 
the  Brigadier,  Etienne  Gerard,  of  the  Hussars  of  Con- 
flans,  gay-riding,  plume-tossing,  debonair,  the  darling  of 
the  ladies  and  of  the  six  brigades  of  light  cavalry. 

*  This  story ^  already  pvhlished  in  The  Green  Flag^  is  included  here  so 
that  all  of  the  Brigaaiar  Gerard  stories  may  appear  together. 

79 


flO       Tim  ADVEKTOIIES  Of  SERABD 

But  the  strange  part  of  it  is  that  this  gallant  geti- 
tleman  did  this  hateful  things  and  made  himself  the  most 
unpopular  man  in  the  Peninsula,  without  ever  knowing 
that  he  had  done  a  crime  for  which  there  is  hardly  a 
name  amid  all  the  resources  of  our  language.  He  died 
of  old  age,  and  never  once  in  that  imperturbable  self- 
confidence  which  adorned  or  disfigured  his  character 
knew  that  so  many  thousand  Englishmen  would  gladly 
have  hanged  him  with  their  own  hands.  On  the  con- 
trary, he  numbered  this  adventure  among  those  other 
exploits  which  he  has  given  to  the  world,  and  many  a 
time  he  chuckled  and  hugged  himself  as  he  narrated  it 
to  the  eager  circle  who  gathered  round  him  in  that  hum- 
ble cafe  where,  between  his  dinner  and  his  dominoes,  he 
would  tell,  amid  tears  and  laughter,  of  that  inconceiv- 
able Napoleonic  past  when  France,  like  an  angel  of 
wrath,  rose  up,  splendid  and  terrible,  before  a  cowering 
continent.  Let  us  listen  to  him  as  he  tells  the  story  in 
his  own  way  and  from  his  own  point  of  view. 

You  must  know,  my  friends,  said  he,  that  it  was  tow- 
ard the  end  of  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  ten  that 
I  and  Massena  and  the  others  pushed  Wellington  back- 
ward until  we  had  hoped  to  drive  him  and  his  army  into 
the  Tagus.     But  when  we  were  still  twenty-five  miles 


HOW  THE  BRIGADIER  SLEW  THE  FOX     81 

from  Lisbon  we  found  that  we  were  betrayed,  for  what 
had  this  Enghshman  done  but  build  an  enormous  line  of 
works  and  forts  at  a  place  called  Torres  Vedras,  so  that 
even  we  were  unable  to  get  through  them!  They  lay 
across  the  whole  Peninsula,  and  our  army  was  so  far  from 
home  that  we  did  not  dare  to  risk  a  reverse,  and  we  had 
already  learned  at  Busaco  that  it  was  no  child's  play  to 
fight  against  these  people.  What  could  we  do,  then,  but 
sit  down  in  front  of  these  lines  and  blockade  them  to  the 
best  of  our  power?  There  we  remained  for  six  months, 
amid  such  anxieties  that  Massena  said  afterward  that 
he  had  not  one  hair  which  was  not  white  upon  his  body. 
For  my  own  part,  I  did  not  worry  much  about  our  situa- 
tion, but  I  looked  after  our  horses,  who  were  in  much 
need  of  rest  and  green  fodder.  For  the  rest,  we  drank 
the  wine  of  the  country  and  passed  the  time  as  best  we 
might.  There  was  a  lady  at  Santarem — ^but  my  lips  are 
sealed.  It  is  the  part  of  a  gallant  man  to  say  nothing, 
though  he  may  indicate  that  he  could  say  a  great  deal. 

.  One  day  Massena  sent  for  me,  and  I  found  him  in  his 
tent  with  a  great  plan  pinned  upon  the  table.  He  looked 
at  me  in  silence  with  that  single  piercing  eye  of  his,  and 
I  felt  by  his  expression  that  the  matter  was  serious.  He 
^83  nervous  and  ill  at  ease,  but  my  bearing  seemed  to 


82         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

reassure  him.  It  is  good  to  be  in  contact  with  brave 
men. 

"Colonel  Etienne  Gerard,"  said  he,  "I  have  always 
heard  that  jou  are  a  very  gallant  and  enterprising  offi- 
cer." 

It  was  not  for  me  to  confirm  such  a  report,  and  yet  it 
would  be  folly  to  deny  it,  so  I  clinked  my  spurs  together 
and  saluted. 

"You  are  also  an  excellent  rider." 

I  admitted  it. 

"And  the  best  swordsman  in  the  six  brigades  of  light 
cavalry." 

Massena  was  famous  for  the  accuracy  of  his  informa- 
tion. 

"Now,"  said  he,  "if  you  will  look  at  this  plan  you  will 
have  no  difficulty  in  understanding  what  it  is  that  I  wish 
you  to  do.  These  are  the  lines  of  Torres  Vedras.  You 
will  perceive  that  they  cover  a  vast  space,  and  you  will 
realise  that  the  English  can  only  hold  a  position  here  and 
there.  Once  through  the  lines  you  have  twenty-five  miles 
of  open  country  which  lie  between  them  and  Lisbon.  It 
is  very  important  to  me  to  learn  how  Wellington's  troops 
are  distributed  throughout  that  space,  and  it  is  my  wish 
that  you  should  go  and  ascertain." 

His  words  turned  me  cold. 


HOW  THE  BRIGADIER  SLEW  THE  FOX     83 

"Sir,"  said  I,  "it  is  impossible  that  a  colonel  of  light 
cavalry  should  condescend  to  act  as  a  spy." 

He  laughed  and  clapped  me  on  the  shoulder. 

"You  would  not  be  a  Hussar  if  you  were  not  a  hot- 
head," said  he.  "If  you  will  listen  you  will  understand 
that  I  have  not  asked  you  to  act  as  a  spy.  What  do  you 
think  of  that  horse.''" 

He  had  conducted  me  to  the  opening  of  his  tent,  and 
there  was  a  chasseur  who  led  up  and  down  a  most  ad- 
mirable creature.  He  was  a  dapple  grey,  not  very  tall, 
a  little  over  fifteen  hands  perhaps,  but  with  the  short 
head  and  splendid  arch  of  the  neck  which  comes  with  the 
Arab  blood.  His  shoulders  and  haunches  were  so  muscu- 
lar, and  yet  his  legs  so  fine,  that  it  thrilled  me  with  joy 
just  to  gaze  upon  him.  A  fine  horse  or  a  beautiful 
woman — I  cannot  look  at  them  unmoved,  even  now  when 
seventy  winters  have  chilled  my  blood.  You  can  think 
how  it  was  in  the  year  '10. 

"This,"  said  Massena,  "is  Voltigeur,  the  swiftest  horse 
in  our  army.  What  I  desire  is  that  you  should  start  to- 
night, ride  round  the  lines  upon  the  flank,  make  your 
way  across  the  enemy's  rear,  and  return  upon  the  other 
flank,  bringing  me  news  of  his  disposition.  You  will 
wear  a  uniform^  and  will,  therefore^  if  captured^  be  safe 


84         THE   ADVENTURES    OF   GEKARD 

from  the  death  of  a  spy.  It  is  probable  that  you  will  get 
through  the  lines  unchallenged,  for  the  posts  are  very 
scattered.  Once  through,  in  daylight  you  can  outride 
anything  which  you  meet,  and  if  you  keep  off  the  roads 
you  may  escape  entirely  unnoticed.  If  you  have  not  re- 
ported yourself  by  to-morrow  night,  I  will  under- 
stand that  you  are  taken,  and  I  will  offer  them  Colonel 
Petrie  in  exchange." 

Ah,  how  my  heart  swelled  with  pride  and  joy  as  I 
sprang  into  the  saddle  and  galloped  this  grand  horse  up 
and  down  to  show  the  jMarshal  the  mastery  which  I  had 
of  him !  He  was  magnificent — we  were  both  magnificent, 
for  Massena  clapped  his  hands  and  cried  out  in  his  de- 
light. It  was  not  I,  but  he,  who  said  that  a  gallant  beast 
deserves  a  gallant  rider.  Then,  when  for  the  third  time, 
with  my  panache  flying  and  my  dolman  streaming  behind 
me,  I  thundered  past  him,  I  saw  upon  his  hard  old  face 
that  he  had  no  longer  any  doubt  that  he  had  chosen  the 
man  for  his  purpose.  I  drew  my  sabre,  raised  the  hilt 
to  my  lips  in  salute,  and  galloped  on  to  my  own  quarters. 
Already  the  news  had  spread  that  I  had  been  chosen  for 
a  mission,  and  my  little  rascals  came  swarming  out  of 
their  tents  to  cheer  me.  Ah !  it  brings  the  tears  to  my  old 
eyes  when  I  think  how  proud  they  were  of  their  Colonel. 


ttOW  THE  BRIGADffitt  SLfiW  fME  POX    8« 

And  I  was  proud  of  them  also.  They  deserved  a  dashing 
leader. 

The  night  promised  to  be  a  stormy  one,  which  was 
very  much  to  my  liking.  It  was  my  desire  to  keep  my 
departure  most  secret,  for  it  was  evident  that  if  the  Eng- 
lish heard  that  I  had  been  detached  from  the  army  they 
would  naturally  conclude  that  something  important  was 
about  to  happen.  My  horse  was  taken,  therefore,  be- 
yond the  picket  line,  as  if  for  watering,  and  I  followed 
and  mounted  him  there.  I  had  a  map,  a  compass,  and 
a  paper  of  instructions  from  the  Marshal,  and  with  these 
in  the  bosom  of  my  tunic  and  my  sabre  at  my  side  I  set 
out  upon  my  adventure. 

A  thin  rain  was  falling  and  there  was  no  moon,  so  you 
may  imagine  that  it  was  not  very  cheerful.  But  my  heart 
was  light  at  the  tliought  of  the  honour  which  had  been 
done  me  and  the  glory  which  awaited  me.  Tiiis  exploit 
should  be  one  more  in  that  brilliant  series  which  was  to 
change  my  sabre  into  a  baton.  Ah,  how  we  dreamed,  we 
foolish  fellows,  young,  and  drunk  with  success!  Could 
I  have  foreseen  that  night  as  I  rode,  the  chosen  man  of 
sixty  thousand,  that  I  should  spend  my  life  planting  cab- 
bages on  a  hundred  francs  a  month !  Oh,  my  youth,  my 
hopes,  my  comrades!     But  the  wheel  turns  and  never 


86         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

stops.     Forgive  me,  my  friends,  for  an  old  man  has  his 
weakness. 

My  route,  then,  lay  across  the  face  of  the  high  ground 
of  Torres  Vedras,  then  over  a  streamlet,  past  a  farm- 
house which  had  been  burned  down  and  was  now  only  a 
landmark,  then  through  a  forest  of  young  cork  oaks, 
and  so  to  the  monastery  of  San  Antonio,  which  marked 
the  left  of  the  English  position.  Here  I  turned  south 
and  rode  quietly  over  the  downs,  for  it  was  at  this  point 
that  Massena  thought  that  it  would  be  most  easy  for  me 
to  find  my  way  unobserved  through  the  position.  I  went 
very  slowly,  for  it  was  so  dark  that  I  could  not  see  my 
hand  in  front  of  me.  In  such  cases  I  leave  my  bridle 
loose  and  let  my  horse  pick  its  own  way.  Voltigeur  went 
confidently  forward,  and  I  was  very  content  to  sit  upon 
his  back  and  to  peer  about  me,  avoiding  every  light. 
For  three  hours  we  advanced  in  this  cautious  way,  until 
it  seemed  to  me  that  I  must  have  left  all  danger  behind 
me.  I  then  pushed  on  more  briskly,  for  I  wished  to  be 
in  the  rear  of  the  whole  army  by  daybreak.  There  are 
many  vineyards  in  these  parts  which  in  winter  become 
open  plains,  and  a  horseman  finds  few  difficulties  in  his 
way. 

But  Massena  had  underrated  the  cunning  of  these 


HOW  THE  BRIGADIER  SLEW  THE  FOX     87 

English,  for  it  appears  that  there  was  not  one  line  of 
defence  but  three,  and  it  was  the  third,  which  was  the 
most  formidable,  through  which  I  was  at  that  instant 
passing.  As  I  rode,  elated  at  my  own  success,  a  lantern 
jflashed  suddenly  before  me,  and  I  saw  the  glint  of  polished 
gun-barrels  and  the  gleam  of  a  red  coat. 

"Who  goes  there?"  cried  a  voice — such  a  voice!  I 
swerved  to  the  right  and  rode  like  a  madman,  but  a  dozen 
squirts  of  fire  came  out  of  the  darkness,  and  the  bullets 
whizzed  all  round  my  ears.  That  was  no  new  sound  to 
me,  my  friends,  though  I  will  not  talk  like  a  foolish  con- 
script and  say  that  I  have  ever  liked  it.  But  at  least  it 
had  never  kept  me  from  thinking  clearly,  and  so  I  knew 
that  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  gallop  hard  and  try 
my  luck  elsewhere.  I  rode  round  the  English  picket,  and 
then,  as  I  heard  nothing  more  of  them,  I  concluded 
rightly  that  I  had  at  last  come  through  their  defences. 
For  five  miles  I  rode  south,  striking  a  tinder  from  time  to 
time  to  look  at  my  pocket  compass.  And  then  in  an  in- 
stant— I  feel  the  pang  once  more  as  my  memory  brings 
back  the  moment — my  horse,  without  a  sob  or  stagger, 
fell  stone-dead  beneath  me! 

I  had  never  known  it,  but  one  of  the  bullets  from  that 
infernal  picket  had  passed  through  his  body.     The  gal- 


88         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

lant  creature  had  never  winced  nor  weakened,  but  had 
gone  while  Hf  e  was  in  him.  One  instant  I  was  secure  on 
the  swiftest,  most  graceful  horse  in  Massena's  army.  The 
next  he  lay  upon  his  side,  worth  only  the  price  of  his  hide, 
and  I  stood  there  that  most  helpless,  most  ungainly  of 
creatures,  a  dismounted  Hussar.  What  could  I  do  with 
my  boots,  my  spurs,  my  trailing  sabre  ?  I  was  far  inside 
the  enemy's  lines.  How  could  I  hope  to  get  back  again  ? 
I  am  not  ashamed  to  say  that  I,  Etienne  Gerard,  sat  upon 
my  dead  horse  and  sank  my  face  in  my  hands  in  my  de- 
spair. Already  the  first  streaks  were  whitening  the  east. 
In  half  an  hour  it  would  be  light.  That  I  should  have  won 
my  way  past  every  obstacle  and  then  at  this  last  instant 
be  left  at  the  mercy  of  my  enemies,  my  mission  ruined, 
and  myself  a  prisoner — ^was  it  not  enough  to  break  a  sol- 
dier's heart? 

But  courage,  my  friends !  We  have  these  moments  of 
weakness,  the  bravest  of  us ;  but  I  have  a  spirit  like  a  slip 
of  steel,  for  the  more  you  bend  it  the  higher  it  springs. 
One  spasm  of  despair,  and  then  a  brain  of  ice  and  a 
heart  of  fire.  All  was  not  yet  lost.  I  who  had  come 
through  so  many  hazards  would  come  through  this  one 
also.  I  rose  from  my  horse  and  considered  what  had  best 
be  done. 


HOW  THE  BRIGADIER  SLEW  THE  FOX    89 

And  first  of  all  it  was  certain  that  I  could  not  get 
back.  Long  before  I  could  pass  the  lines  it  would  be 
broad  daylight.  I  must  hide  myself  for  the  day,  and 
then  devote  the  next  night  to  my  escape.  I  took  the ' 
saddle,  holsters,  and  bridle  from  poor  Voltigeur,  and  I 
concealed  them  among  some  bushes,  so  that  no  one  find- 
ing him  could  know  that  he  was  a  French  horse.  Then, 
leaving  him  lying  there,  I  wandered  on  in  search  of  some 
place  where  I  might  be  safe  for  the  day.  In  every  di- 
rection I  could  see  camp  fires  upon  the  sides  of  the  hills, 
and  already  figures  had  begun  to  move  around  them.  I 
must  hide  quickly,  or  I  was  lost. 

But  where  was  I  to  hide?  It  was  a  vineyard  in  which 
I  found  myself,  the  poles  of  the  vines  still  standing,  but 
the  plants  gone.  There  was  no  cover  there.  Besides, 
I  should  want  some  food  and  water  before  another  night 
had  come.  I  hurried  wildly  onward  through  the  wan- 
ing darkness,  trusting  that  chance  would  be  my  friend. 
And  I  was  not  disappointed.  Chance  is  a  woman,  my 
friends,  and  she  has  her  eye  always  upon  a  gallant 
Hussar. 

Well,  then,  as  I  stumbled  through  the  vineyard, 
something  loomed  in  front  of  me,  and  I  came  upon  a 
great  square  house   with   another   loDg,   low   building 


90         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

upon  one  side  of  it.  Three  roads  met  there,  and  it  was 
easy  to  see  that  this  was  the  posada,  or  wine-shop. 
There  was  no  light  in  the  windows,  and  everything  was 
dark  and  silent,  but,  of  course,  I  knew  that  such  com- 
fortable quarters  were  certainly  occupied,  and  probably 
by  someone  of  importance.  I  have  learned,  however, 
that  the  nearer  the  danger  may  really  be  the  safer  place, 
and  so  I  was  by  no  means  inclined  to  trust  myself  away 
from  this  shelter.  The  low  building  was  evidently  the 
stable,  and  into  this  I  crept,  for  the  door  was  unlatched. 
The  place  was  full  of  bullocks  and  sheep,  gathered 
there,  no  doubt,  to  be  out  of  the  clutches  of  marauders. 
A  ladder  led  to  a  loft,  and  up  this  I  climbed  and  con- 
cealed myself  very  snugly  among  some  bales  of  hay 
upon  the  top.  This  loft  had  a  small  open  window,  and 
I  was  able  to  look  down  upon  the  front  of  the  inn  and 
also  upon  the  road.  There  I  crouched  and  waited  to 
see  what  would  happen. 

It  was  soon  evident  that  I  had  not  been  mistaken 
when  I  had  thought  that  this  might  be  the  quarters  of 
some  person  of  importance.  Shortly  after  daybreak  an 
English  light  dragoon  arrived  with  a  despatch,  and 
from  then  onward  the  place  was  in  a  turmoil,  officers 
continually    riding  up   and   away.     Always   the   same 


HOW  THE  BRIGADIER  SLEW  THE  FOX    91 

name  was  upon  their  lips:  "Sir  Stapleton — Sir  Staple- 
ton."  It  was  hard  for  me  to  lie  there  with  a  dry  mous- 
tache and  watch  the  great  flagons  which  were  brought 
out  by  the  landlord  to  these  English  officers.  But  it 
amused  me  to  look  at  their  fresh-coloured,  clean-shaveuj 
careless  faces,  and  to  wonder  what  they  would  think  if 
they  knew  that  so  celebrated  a  person  was  lying  so  near 
to  them.  And  then,  as  I  lay  and  watched,  I  saw  a  sight 
which  filled  me  with  surprise.  ^^ 

It  is  incredible  the  insolence  of  these  English!  What 
do  you  suppose  Milord  Wellington  had  done  when  he 
found  that  Massena  had  blockaded  him  and  that  he 
could  not  move  his  army?  I  might  give  you  many 
guesses.  You  might  say  that  he  had  raged,  that  he  had 
despaired,  that  he  had  brought  his  troops  together  and 
spoken  to  them  about  glory  and  the  fatherland  before 
leading  them  to  one  last  battle.  No,  Milord  did  none 
of  these  things.  But  he  sent  a  fleet  ship  to  England  to 
bring  him  a  number  of  fox-dogs,  and  he  with  his  officers 
settled  himself  down  to  chase  the  fox.  It  is  true  what 
I  tell  you.  Behind  the  lines  of  Torres  Vedras  these  mad 
Englishmen  made  the  fox  chase  three  days  in  the  week. 
We  had  heard  of  it  in  the  camp,  and  now  I  was  myself 
to  see  that  it  was  true. 


92         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

For,  along  the  road  which  I  have  described,  there 
came  these  very  dogs,  thirty  or  forty  of  them,  white 
and  brown,  each  with  its  tail  at  the  same  angle, 
like  the  bayonets  of  the  Old  Guard.  My  faith,  but  it 
was  a  pretty  sight!  And  behind  and  amidst  them  there 
rode  three  men  with  peaked  caps  and  red  coats,  whom  I 
understood  to  be  the  hunters.  After  them  came  many 
horsemen  with  uniforms  of  various  kinds,  stringing  along 
the  roads  in  tw  os  and  threes,  talking  together  and  laugh- 
ing. They  did  not  seem  to  be  going  above  a  trot,  and  it 
appeared  to  me  that  it  must  indeed  be  a  slow  fox  which 
they  hoped  to  catch.  However,  it  was  their  affair,  not 
mine,  and  soon  they  had  all  passed  my  window  and  were 
out  of  sight.  I  waited  and  I  watched,  ready  for  any 
chance  which  might  offer. 

Presently  an  officer,  in  a  blue  uniform  not  unlike  that 
of  our  flying  artillery,  came  cantering  down  the  road — an 
elderly,  stout  man  he  was,  with  grey  side-whiskers.  He 
stopped  and  began  to  talk  with  an  orderly  officer  of  dra- 
goons, who  waited  outside  the  inn,  and  it  was  then  that  I 
learned  the  advantage  of  the  English  which  had  been 
taught  me.  I  could  hear  and  understand  all  that  was 
said. 

"Where  is  the  meet.?"  said  the  officer,  and  I  thought 


HOW  THE  BRIGADIER  SLEW  THE  FOX    93 

that  he  was  hungering  for  his  bifstek.  But  the  other 
answered  him  that  it  was  near  Altara,  so  I  saw  that  it 
was  a  place  of  which  he  spoke. 

"You  are  late,  Sir  George,"  said  the  orderly. 

"Yes,  I  had  a  court-martial.  Has  Sir  Stapleton  Cot- 
ton gone  .^'' 

At  this  moi  }ent  a  window  opened,  and  a  handsome 
young  man  in  a  very  splendid  uniform  looked  out  of  it. 

"Halloa,  Murray!"  said  he.  "These  cursed  papers 
keep  me,  but  I  will  be  at  your  heels." 

"Very  good.  Cotton.  I  am  late  already,  so  I  will  ride 
on." 

"You  might  order  my  groom  to  bring  round  my 
horse,"  said  the  young  General  at  the  window  to  the  or- 
derly below,  while  the  other  went  on  down  the  road. 

The  orderly  rode  away  to  some  outlying  stable,  and 
then  in  a  few  minutes  there  came  a  smart  English  groom 
with  a  cockade  in  his  hat,  leading  by  the  bridle  a  horse — 
and,  oh,  my  friends,  you  have  never  known  the  perfection 
to  which  a  horse  can  attain  until  you  have  seen  a  first- 
class  English  hunter.  He  was  superb :  tall,  broad,  strong, 
and  yet  as  graceful  and  agile  as  a  deer.  Coal  black  he 
was  in  colour,  and  his  neck,  and  his  shoulder,  and  his 
quarters,  and  his  fetlocks — ^how  can  I  describe  him  all 


94         THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

to  you?  The  sun  shone  upon  him  as  on  pohshed  ebony, 
and  he  raised  his  hoofs  in  a  Httle  playful  dance  so  lightly 
and  prettily,  while  he  tossed  his  mane  and  whinnied  with 
impatience.  Never  have  I  seen  such  a  mixture  of 
strength  and  beauty  and  grace.  I  had  often  wondered 
how  the  English  Hussars  had  managed  to  ride  over  the 
chasseurs  of  the  Guards  in  the  affair  at  Astorga,  but  I 
wondered  no  longer  when  I  saw  the  English  horses. 

There  was  a  ring  for  fastening  bridles  at  the  door  of 
the  inn,  and  the  groom  tied  the  horse  there  while  he  en- 
tered the  house.  In  an  instant  I  had  seen  the  chance  which 
Fate  had  brought  to  me.  Were  I  in  that  saddle  I  should 
be  better  off  than  when  I  started.  Even  Voltigeur  could 
not  compare  with  this  magnificent  creature.  To  think  is 
to  act  with  me.  In  one  instant  I  was  down  the  ladder 
and  at  the  door  of  the  stable.  The  next  I  was  out  and 
the  bridle  was  in  my  hand.  I  bounded  into  the  saddle. 
Somebod}^,  the  master  or  the  man,  shouted  wildly  behind 
me.  What  cared  I  for  his  shouts !  I  touched  the  horse 
with  my  spurs  and  he  bounded  forward  with  such  a  spring 
that  only  a  rider  like  myself  could  have  sat  him.  I 
gave  him  his  head  and  let  him  go — it  did  not  matter  to 
me  where,  so  long  as  we  left  this  inn  far  behind  us.  He 
thundered  away  across  the  vineyards,  and  in  a  very  few 


HOW  THE  BRIGADIER  SLEW  THE  FOX    95 

minutes  I  had  placed  miles  between  myself  and  my  pur- 
suers. They  could  no  longer  tell  in  that  wild  country 
in  which  direction  I  had  gone.  I  knew  that  I  was  safe, 
and  so,  riding  to  the  top  of  a  small  hill,  I  drew  my  pencil 
and  note-book  from  my  pocket  and  proceeded  to  make 
plans  of  those  <jamps  which  I  could  see  and  to  draw  the 
outline  of  the  country. 

He  was  a  dear  creature  upon  whom  I  sat,  but  it  was 
not  easy  to  draw  upon  his  back,  for  every  now  and  then 
his  two  ears  would  cock,  ai.d  he  would  start  and  quiver 
with  impatience.  At  first  I  could  not  understand  this 
trick  of  his,  but  soon  I  observed  that  he  only  did  it  when 
a  peculiar  noise — "yoy,  yoy,  yoy" — came  from  some- 
where among  the  oak  woods  beneath  us.  And  then  sud- 
denly this  strange  cry  changed  into  a  most  terrible 
screaming,  with  the  frantic  blowing  of  a  horn.  Instantly 
he  went  mad — this  horse.  His  eyes  blazed.  His  mane 
bristled.  He  bounded  from  the  earth  and  bounded  again, 
twisting  and  turning  in  a  frenzy.  My  pencil  flew  one 
way  and  my  note-book  another.  And  then,  as  I  looked 
down  into  the  valley,  an  extraordinary  sight  met  my  eyes. 
The  hunt  was  streaming  down  it.  The  fox  I  could  not 
see,  but  the  dogs  were  in  full  cry,  their  noses  down,  their 
tails  up,  so  close  together  that  they  might  have  been  one 


96       THE  ADVENTURES  OP  GEHARD 

great  yellow  and  white  moving  carpet.  And  behind  them 
rode  the  horsemen — my  faith,  what  a  sight!  Consider 
every  type  which  a  great  army  could  shov*-.  Some  in 
hunting  dress,  but  the  most  in  uniforms :  blue  dragoons, 
red  dragoons,  red-trousered  hussars,  green  riflemen,  ar- 
tillerymen, gold-slashed  lancers,  and  most  of  all  red,  red, 
red,  for  the  infantry  officers  ride  as  hard  as  the  cavalry. 
Such  a  crowd,  some  well  mounted,  some  ill,  but  all  flying 
along  as  best  they  might,  the  subaltern  as  good  as  the 
general,  jostling  and  pushing,  spurring  and  driving, 
with  every  thought  thrown  to  the  winds  save  that  they 
should  have  the  blood  of  this  absurd  fox !  Truly,  they 
are  an  extraordinary  people,  the  English ! 

But  I  had  little  time  to  watch  the  hunt  or  to  marvel  at 
these  islanders,  for  of  all  these  mad  creatures  the  very 
horse  upon  which  I  sat  was  the  maddest.  You  un- 
derstand that  he  was  himself  a  hunter,  and  that  the  cry- 
ing of  these  dogs  was  to  him  what  the  call  of  a  cavalry 
trumpet  in  the  street  yonder  would  be  to  me.  It  thrilled 
him.  It  drove  him  wild.  Again  and  again  he  bounded 
into  the  air,  and  then,  seizing  the  bit  between  his  teeth, 
he  plunged  down  the  slope  and  galloped  after  the  dogs. 
I  swore,  and  tugged,  and  pulled,  but  I  was  powerless. 
This  English  General  rode  his  horse  with  a  snaffle  only, 


HOW  THE  BRIGADIER  SLEW  THE  FOX    9T 

and  the  beast  had  a  mouth  of  iron.  It  was  useless  to  pull 
him  back.  One  might  as  well  try  to  keep  a  grenadier 
from  a  wine-bottle.  I  gave  it  up  in  despair,  and,  settling 
down  in  the  saddle,  I  prepared  for  the  worst  which  could 
befall. 

What  a  creature  he  was!  Never  have  I  felt  such  a 
horse  between  my  knees.  His  great  haunches  gathered 
under  him  with  every  stride,  and  he  shot  forward  ever 
faster  and  faster,  stretched  like  a  greyhound,  while  the 
wind  beat  in  my  face  and  whistled  past  my  ears.  I  was 
wearing  our  undress  jacket,  a  uniform  simple  and  dark 
in  itself — though  some  figures  give  distinction  to  any 
uniform — and  I  had  taken  the  precaution  to  remove  the 
long  panache  from  my  busby.  The  result  was  that,  amidst 
the  mixture  of  costumes  in  the  hunt,  there  was  no  reason 
why  mine  should  attract  attention,  or  why  these  men, 
whose  thoughts  were  all  with  the  chase,  should  give  any 
heed  to  me.  The  idea  that  a  French  officer  might  be  rid- 
ing with  them  was  too  absurd  to  enter  their  minds.  I 
laughed  as  I  rode,  for,  indeed,  amid  all  the  danger,  there 
was  something  of  comic  in  the  situation. 

I  have  said  that  the  hunters  were  very  unequally 
mounted,  and  so  at  the  end  of  a  few  miles,  instead  of 
being  one  body  of  men,  like  a  charging  regiment,  they 


98  THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 
were  scattered  over  a  considerable  space,  the  better  riders 
well  up  to  the  dogs  and  the  others  trailing  away  behind. 
Now,  I  was  as  good  a  rider  as  any,  and  my  horse  was  the 
best  of  them  all,  and  so  you  can  imagine  that  it  was  not 
long  before  he  carried  me  to  the  front.  And  when  I 
saw  the  dogs  streaming  over  the  open,  and  the  red-coated 
huntsman  behind  them,  and  only  seven  or  eight  horse- 
men between  us,  then  it  was  that  the  strangest  thing  of 
all  happened,  for  I,  too,  went  mad — I,  Etienne  Gerard ! 
In  a  moment  it  came  upon  me,  this  spirit  of  sport,  this 
desire  to  excel,  this  hatred  of  the  fox.  Accursed  animal, 
should  he  then  defy  us  ?  Vile  robber,  his  hour  was  come ! 
Ah,  it  is  a  great  feehng,  this  feeling  of  sport,  my 
friends,  this  desire  to  trample  the  fox  under  the  hoofs 
of  your  horse.  I  have  made  the  fox  chase  with  the 
English.  I  have  also,  as  I  may  tell  you  some  day, 
fought  the  box-fight  with  the  Bustler,  of  Bristol.  And 
I  say  to  you  that  this  sport  is  a  wonderful  thing — full 
of  interest  as  well  as  madness. 

The  farther  we  went  the  faster  galloped  my  horse,  and 
soon  there  were  but  three  men  as  near  the  dogs  as  I  was. 
All  thought  of  fear  of  discovery  had  vanished.  My 
brain  throbbed,  my  blood  ran  hot — only  one  thing  upon 
earth  seemed  worth  living  for,  and  that  was  to  overtake 


HOW  THE  BRIGADIER  SLEW  THE  FOX     99 

this  infernal  fox.  I  passed  one  of  the  horsemen — a  Hus- 
sar like  myself.  There  were  only  two  in  front  of  me  now : 
the  one  in  a  black  coat,  the  other  the  blue  artilleryman 
whom  I  had  seen  at  the  inn.  His  grey  whiskers  streamed 
in  the  wind,  but  he  rode  magnificently.  For  a  mile  or 
more  we  kept  in  this  order,  and  then,  as  we  galloped  up 
a  steep  slope,  my  lighter  weight  brought  me  to  the  front. 
I  passed  them  both,  and  when  I  reached  the  crown  I  was 
riding  level  with  the  little,  hard-faced  English  huntsman. 
In  front  of  us  were  the  dogs,  and  then,  a  hundred  paces 
beyond  them,  was  a  brown  wisp  of  a  thing,  the  fox  itself, 
stretched  to  the  uttermost.  The  sight  of  him  fired  my 
blood.  "Aha,  we  have  you  then,  assassin !"  I  cried,  and 
shouted  my  encouragement  to  the  huntsman.  I  waved 
my  hand  to  show  him  that  there  was  one  upon  whom  he 
could  rely. 

And  now  there  were  only  the  dogs  between  me  and  my 
prey.  These  dogs,  whose  duty  it  is  to  point  out  the 
game,  were  now  rather  a  hindrance  than  a  help  to  us, 
for  it  was  hard  to  know  how  to  pass  them.  The  hunts- 
man felt  the  difficulty  as  much  as  I,  for  he  rode  behind 
them,  and  could  make  no  progress  toward  the  fox.  He 
was  a  swift  rider,  but  wanting  in  enterprise.  For  my 
part,  I  felt  that  it  would  be  unworthy  of  the  Hussars  of 


100   THE  ADVENTURES  OE  GERARD 

Conflans  if  I  could  not  overcome  such  a  difficulty  as  this. 
Was  Etienne  Gerard  to  be  stopped  by  a  herd  of  fox-dogs  ? 
It  was  absurd.    I  gave  a  shout  and  spurred  my  horse. 

"Hold  hard,  sir !     Hold  hard !"  cried  the  huntsman. 

He  was  uneasy  for  me,  this  good  old  man,  but  I  reas- 
sured him  by  a  wave  and  a  smile.  The  dogs  opened  in 
front  of  me.  One  or  two  may  have  been  hurt,  but 
what  would  you  have.^  The  egg  must  be  broken  for 
the  omelette.  I  could  hear  the  huntsman  shouting  his 
congratulations  behind  me.  One  more  effort,  and  the 
dogs  were  all  behind  me.     Only  the  fox  was  in  front. 

Ah,  the  joy  and  pride  of  that  moment !  To  know  that 
I  had  beaten  the  English  at  their  own  sport.  Here  were 
three  hundred,  all  thirsting  for  the  life  of  this  animal, 
and  yet  it  was  I  who  was  about  to  take  it.  I  thought  of 
my  comrades  of  the  light  cavalry  brigade,  of  my  mother, 
of  the  Emperor,  of  France.  I  had  brought  honour  to 
each  and  all.  Every  instant  brought  me  nearer  to  the 
fox.  The  moment  for  action  had  arrived,  so  I  un- 
sheathed my  sabre.  I  waved  it  in  the  air,  and  the  brave 
English  all  shouted  behind  me. 

Onlj^  then  did  I  understand  how  difficult  is  this  fox 
chase,  for  one  may  cut  again  and  again  at  the  creature 
and  never  strike  him  once.  He  is  small,  and  turns  quickly 


HOW  THE  BRIGADIER  SLEW  THE  EOX  101 

from  a  blow.  At  every  cut  I  heard  those  shouts  of  en- 
couragement from  behind  me,  and  they  spurred  me  to 
yet  another  effort.  And  then  at  last  the  supreme  moment 
of  my  triumph  arrived.  In  the  very  act  of  turning  I 
caught  him  fair  with  such  another  back-handed  cut  as 
that  with  which  I  killed  the  aide-de-camp  of  the  Emperor 
of  Russia.  He  flew  into  two  pieces,  his  head  one  way  and 
his  tail  another.  I  looked  back  and  waved  the  blood- 
stained sabre  in  the  air.  For  the  moment  I  was  exalted 
— superb ! 

Ah!  how  I  should  have  loved  to  have  waited  to  have 
received  the  congratulations  of  these  generous  enemies. 
There  were  fifty  of  them  in  sight,  and  not  one  who  was 
not  waving  his  hand  and  shouting.  They  are  not  really 
such  a  phlegmatic  race,  the  English.  A  gallant  deed  in 
war  or  in  sport  will  always  warm  their  hearts.  As  to  the 
old  huntsman,  he  was  the  nearest  to  me,  and  I  could  see 
with  my  own  eyes  how  overcome  he  was  by  what  he  had 
seen.  He  was  like  a  man  paralysed,  his  mouth  open,  his 
hand,  with  outspread  fingers,  raised  in  the  air.  For  a 
moment  my  inclination  was  to  return  and  to  embrace 
him. 

But  already  the  call  of  duty  was  sounding  in  my 
ears,  and  these  English,  in  spite  of  all  the  fraternity 


10^       THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

which  exists  among  sportsmen,  would  certainly  have 
made  me  prisoner.  There  was  no  hope  for  my  mission 
now,  and  I  had  done  all  that  I  could  do.  I  could  see  the 
lines  of  Massena's  camp  no  very  great  distance  off,  for, 
by  a  lucky  chance,  the  chase  had  taken  us  in  that  direc- 
tion.  I  turned  from  the  dead  fox,  saluted  with  my  sabre, 
and  galloped  away. 

But  they  would  not  leave  me  so  easily,  these  gallant 
huntsmen.  I  was  the  fox  now,  and  the  chase  swept  brave- 
ly over  the  plain.  It  was  only  at  the  moment  when  I 
started  for  the  camp  that  they  could  have  known  that  I 
was  a  Frenchman,  and  now  the  whole  swarm  of  them  were 
at  my  heels.  We  were  within  gunshot  of  our  pickets  be- 
fore they  would  halt,  and  then  they  stood  in  knots  and 
would  not  go  away,  but  shouted  and  waved  their  hands 
at  me.  No,  I  will  not  think  that  it  was  in  enmity.  Rather 
would  I  fancy  that  a  glow  of  admiration  filled  their 
breasts,  and  that  their  one  desire  was  to  embrace  the 
stranger  who  had  carried  himself  so  gallantly  and  well. 


IV 

How  the  Brigadier  Saved  the  Army 

I  have  told  you,  my  friends,  how  we  held  the  English 
shut  up  for  six  months,  from  October,  1810,  to  March, 
1811,  within  their  lines  of  Torres  Vedras.  It  was  during 
this  time  that  I  hunted  the  fox  in  their  company,  and 
showed  them  that  amidst  all  their  sportsmen  there  was 
not  one  who  could  outride  a  Hussar  of  Conflans.  When 
I  galloped  back  into  the  French  lines  with  the  blood  of 
the  creature  still  moist  upon  my  blade  the  outposts  who 
had  seen  what  I  had  done  raised  a  frenzied  cry  in  my  hon- 
our, whilst  these  English  hunters  still  yelled  behind  me, 
so  that  I  had  the  applause  of  both  armies.  It  made  the 
tears  rise  to  my  eyes  to  feel  that  I  had  won  the  admira- 
tion of  so  many  brave  men.  These  English  are  generous 
foes.  That  very  evening  there  came  a  packet  under  a 
white  flag  addressed  "To  the  Hussar  officer  who  cut  down 
the  fox."  Within,  I  found  the  fox  itself  in  two  pieces,  as 
I  had  left  it.    There  was  a  note  also,  short  but  hearty,  as 

the  English  fashion  is,  to  say  that  as  I  had  slaughtered 

103 


104   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

the  fox  it  only  remained  for  me  to  eat  it.  They  could  not 
know  that  it  was  not  our  French  custom  to  eat  foxes,  and 
it  showed  their  desire  that  he  who  had  won  the  honours 
of  the  chase  should  also  partake  of  the  game.  It  is  not 
for  a  Frenchman  to  be  outdone  in  politeness,  and  so  I 
returned  it  to  these  brave  hunters,  and  begged  them  to 
accept  it  as  a  side-dish  for  their  next  dejeuner  de  la  chasse. 
It  is  thus  that  chivalrous  opponents  make  war. 

I  had  brought  back  with  me  from  my  ride  a  clear  plan 
of  the  English  lines,  and  this  I  laid  before  Massena  that 
very  evening.  ' 

I  had  hoped  that  it  would  lead  him  to  attack,  but  all 
the  marshals  were  at  each  other's  throats,  snapping  and 
growling  like  so  many  hungry  hounds.  Ney  hated  Mas- 
sena, and  Massena  hated  Junot,  and  Soult  hated  them 
all.  For  this  reason,  nothing  was  done.  In  the  mean- 
time food  grew  more  and  more  scarce,  and  our  beautiful 
cavalry  was  ruined  for  want  of  fodder.  With  the  end  of 
the  winter  we  had  swept  the  whole  country  bare,  and  noth- 
ing remained  for  us  to  eat,  although  we  sent  our  forage 
parties  far  and  wide.  It  was  clear  even  to  the  bravest  of 
us  that  the  time  had  come  to  retreat.  I  was  myself  forced 
to  admit  it. 

But  retreat  was  not  so  easy.    Not  only  were  the  troops 


HOW   HE   SAVED  THE  ARMY  i05 

weak  and  exhausted  from  want  of  supplies,  but  the  enemy 
had  been  much  encouraged  by  our  long  inaction.  Of 
Wellington  we  had  no  great  fear.  We  had  found  him  to 
be  brave  and  cautious,  but  with  little  enterprise.  Besides, 
in  that  barren  country  his  pursuit  could  not  be  rapid. 
But  on  our  flanks  and  in  our  rear  there  had  gathered 
great  numbers  of  Portuguese  militia,  of  armed  peasants, 
and  of  guerillas.  These  people  had  kept  a  safe  distance 
all  the  winter,  but  now  that  our  horses  were  foundered 
they  were  as  thick  as  flies  all  round  our  outposts,  and  no 
man's  life  was  worth  a  sou  when  once  he  fell  into  their 
hands.  I  could  name  a  dozen  officers  of  my  own  acquaint- 
ance who  were  cut  off  during  that  time,  and  the  luckiest 
was  he  who  received  a  ball  from  behind  a  rock  through  his 
head  or  his  heart.  There  were  some  whose  deaths  were  so 
terrible  that  no  report  of  them  was  ever  allowed  to  reach 
their  relatives.  So  frequent  were  these  tragedies,  and  so 
much  did  they  impress  the  imagination  of  the  men,  that 
it  became  very  difficult  to  induce  them  to  leave  the  camp. 
There  was  one  especial  scoundrel,  a  guerilla  chief  named 
Manuelo,  "The  Smiler,"  whose  exploits  filled  our  men  ' 
with  horror.  He  was  a  large,  fat  man  of  jovial  aspect, 
and  he  lurked  with  a  fierce  gang  among  the  mountains 
which  lay  upon  our  left  flank.    A  volume  might  be  writ- 


106   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

ten  of  this  fellow's  cruelties  and  brutalities,  but  he  was 
certainly  a  man  of  power,  for  he  organised  his  brigands 
in  a  manner  which  made  it  almost  impossible  for  us  to  get 
through  his  country.  This  he  did  by  imposing  a  severe 
discipline  upon  them  and  enforcing  it  by  cruel  penalties, 
a  policy  by  which  he  made  them  formidable,  but  which 
had  some  unexpected  results,  as  I  will  show  you  in  my 
story.  Had  he  not  flogged  his  own  lieutenant— but  you 
will  hear  of  that  when  the  time  comes. 

There  were  many  difficulties  in  connection  with  a  re- 
treat, but  it  was  very  evident  that  there  was  no  other  pos- 
sible course,  and  so  Massena  began  to  quickly  pass  his 
baggage  and  his  sick  from  Torres  Novas,  which  was  his 
headquarters,  to  Coimbra,  the  first  strong  post  on  his 
line  of  communications.  He  could  not  do  this  unper- 
ceived,  however,  and  at  once  the  guerillas  came  swarming 
closer  and  closer  upon  our  flanks.  One  of  our  divisions, 
that  of  Clausel,  with  a  brigade  of  Montbrun's  cavalry, 
was  far  to  the  south  of  the  Tagus,  and  it  became  very  nec- 
essary to  let  them  know  that  we  were  about  to  retreat,  for 
otherwise  they  would  be  left  unsupported  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  enemy's  country.  I  remember  wondering 
how  Massena  would  accomplish  this,  for  simple  couriers 
could  not  get  through,  and  small  parties  would  be  cer- 


HOW   HE    SAVED   THE  ARMY  107 

tainly  destroyed.  In  some  way  an  order  to  fall  back  must 
be  conveyed  to  these  men,  or  France  would  be  the  weaker 
by  fourteen  thousand  men.  Little  did  I  think  that  it  was 
I,  Colonel  Gerard,  who  was  to  have  the  honour  of  a  deed 
which  might  have  formed  the  crowning  glory  of  any 
other  man's  life,  and  which  stands  high  among  those  ex- 
ploits which  have  made  my  own  so  famous. 

At  that  time  I  was  serving  on  Massena's  staff,  and  he 
had  two  other  aides-de-camp,  who  were  also  very  brave 
and  intelligent  officers.  The  name  of  one  was  Cortex 
and  of  the  other  Duplessis.  They  were  senior  to  me  in 
age,  but  junior  in  every  other  respect.  Cortex  was  a 
small,  dark  man,  very  quick  and  eager.  He  was  a  fine 
soldier,  but  he  was  ruined  by  his  conceit.  To  take 
him  at  his  own  valuation,  he  was  the  first  man  in  the  army. 
Duplessis  was  a  Gascon,  like  myself,  and  he  was  a  very 
line  fellow,  as  all  Gascon  gentlemen  are.  We  took  it  in 
turn,  day  about,  to  do  duty,  and  it  was  Cortex  who  was 
in  attendance  upon  the  morning  of  which  I  speak.  I  saw 
him  at  breakfast,  but  afterward  neither  he  nor  his  horse 
was  to  be  seen.  All  day  Massena  was  in  his  usual  gloom, 
and  he  spent  much  of  his  time  staring  with  his  telescope 
at  the  English  lines  and  at  the  shipping  in  the  Tagus. 
He  said  nothing  of  the  mission  upon  which  he  had  sent 


108   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

our  comrade,  and  it  was  not  for  us  to  ask  him  any  ques- 
tions. 

That  night,  about  twelve  o'clock,  I  was  standing  out- 
side the  Marshal's  headquarters  when  he  came  out  and 
stood  motionless  for  half  an  hour,  his  arms  folded  upon 
his  breast,  staring  through  the  darkness  toward  the  east. 
So  rigid  and  intent  was  he  that  you  might  have  believed 
the  muffled  figure  and  the  cocked  hat  to  have  been  the 
statue  of  the  man.  What  he  was  looking  for  I  could  not 
imagine ;  but  at  last  he  gave  a  bitter  curse,  and,  turning 
on  his  heel,  he  went  back  into  the  house,  banging  the  door 
behind  him. 

Next  day  the  second  aide-de-camp,  Duplessis,  had  an 
interview  with  Massena  in  the  morning,  after  which 
neither  he  nor  his  horse  was  seen  again.  That  night,  as 
I  sat  in  the  ante-room,  the  Marshal  passed  me,  and  I  ob- 
served him  through  the  window  standing  and  staring 
to  the  east  exactly  as  he  had  done  before.  For  fully  half 
an  hour  he  remained  there,  a  black  shadow  in  the  gloom. 
Then  he  strode  in,  the  door  banged,  and  I  heard  his 
spurs  and  his  scabbard  jingling  and  clanking  through 
the  passage.  At  the  best  he  was  a  savage  old  man,  but 
when  he  was  crossed  I  had  almost  as  soon  face  the  Em- 
peror himself.      I  heard  him  that  night  cursing  and 


HOW   HE   SAVED   THE  ARMY  109 

stamping  above  my  head,  but  he  did  not  send  for  me,  and 
I  knew  him  too  well  to  go  unsought. 

Next  morning  it  was  my  turn,  for  I  was  the  only  aide- 
de-camp  left.  I  was  his  favourite  aide-de-camp.  His 
heart  went  out  always  to  a  smart  soldier.  I  declare  that 
I  think  there  were  tears  in  his  black  eyes  when  he  sent  for 
me  that  morning. 

"Gerard,"  said  he.     "Come  here !" 

With  a  friendly  gesture  he  took  me  by  the  sleeve  and 
he  led  me  to  the  open  window  which  faced  the  east.  Be- 
neath us  was  the  infantry  camp,  and  beyond  that  the 
lines  of  the  cavalry  with  the  long  rows  of  picketed  horses. 
We  could  see  the  French  outposts,  and  then  a  stretch  of 
open  country,  intersected  by  vineyards.  A  range  of  hills 
lay  beyond,  with  one  well-marked  peak  towering  above 
them.  Round  the  base  of  these  hills  was  a  broad 
belt  of  forest.  A  single  road  ran  white  and  clear,  dip- 
ping and  rising  until  it  passed  through  a  gap  in  the 
hills. 

"This,"  said  Massena,  pointing  to  the  mountain,  "is 
the  Sierra  de  Merodal.  Do  you  perceive  anything  upon 
the  top?" 

I  answered  that  I  did  not. 

*'Now?"  be  asked,  and  he  handed  me  his  field-glass, 


110   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

With  its  aid  I  perceived  a  small  mound  or  cairn  upon 
the  crest. 

"What  you  see,"  said  the  Marshal,  "is  a  pile  of  logs 
which  was  placed  there  as  a  beacon.  We  laid  it  when  tlie 
country  was  in  our  hands,  and  now,  although  we  no  long- 
er hold  it,  the  beacon  remains  undisturbed.  Gerard,  that 
beacon  must  be  lit  to-night.  France  needs  it,  the  Em- 
peror needs  it,  the  army  needs  it.  Two  of  your  comrades 
have  gone  to  light  it,  but  neither  has  made  his  way  to  the 
summit.  To-day  it  is  your  turn,  and  I  pray  that  you 
may  have  better  luck." 

It  is  not  for  a  soldier  to  ask  the  reason  for  his  orders, 
and  so  I  was  about  to  hurry  from  the  room,  but  the  Mar- 
shal laid  his  hand  upon  my  shoulder  and  held  me. 

"You  shall  know  all,  and  so  learn  how  high  is  the  cause 
for  which  you  risk  your  life,"  said  he.  "Fifty  miles  to 
the  south  of  us,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Tagus,  is  the 
army  of  General  Clausel.  His  camp  is  situated  near  a 
peak  named  the  Sierra  d'Ossa.  On  the  summit  of  this 
peak  is  a  beacon,  and  by  this  beacon  he  has  a  picket.  It 
is  agreed  between  us  that  when  at  midnight  he  shall  see 
our  signal-fire  he  shall  light  his  own  as  an  answer,  and 
shall  then  at  once  fall  back  upon  the  main  army.  If  he 
does  not  start  at  once  I  must  go  without  him.    For  two 


HOW  HE   SAVED  THE  ARMY  111 

days  I  have  endeavoured  to  send  him  his  message.  It 
must  reach  him  to-day,  or  his  army  will  be  left  behind 
and  destroyed." 

Ah,  my  friends,  how  my  heart  swelled  when  I  heard 
how  high  was  the  task  which  Fortune  had  assigned  to  me ! 
If  my  life  were  spared,  here  was  one  more  splendid  new 
leaf  for  my  laurel  crown.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  I  died, 
then  it  would  be  a  death  worthy  of  such  a  career.  I  said 
nothing,  but  I  cannot  doubt  that  all  the  noble  thoughts 
that  were  in  me  shone  in  my  face,  for  Massena  took  my 
hand  and  wrung  it. 

"There  is  the  hill  and  there  the  beacon,"  said  he. 
"There  is  only  this  guerilla  and  his  men  between  you  and 
it.  I  cannot  detach  a  large  party  for  the  enterprise  and 
a  small  one  would  be  seen  and  destroyed.  Therefore  to 
you  alone  I  commit  it.  Carry  it  out  in  your  own  way, 
but  at  twelve  o'clock  this  night  let  me  see  the  fire  upon 
the  hill." 

"If  it  is  not  there,"  said  I,  "then  I  pray  you.  Marshal 
Massena,  to  see  that  my  effects  are  sold  and  the  money 
sent  to  my  mother."  So  I  raised  my  hand  to  my  busby 
and  turned  upon  my  heel,  my  heart  glowing  at  the 
thought  of  the  great  exploit  which  lay  before  me. 

I  sat  in  my  own  chamber  for  some  little  time  consider- 


1X2       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

ing  how  I  had  best  take  the  matter  in  hand.  The  fact 
that  neither  Cortex  nor  Duplessis,  who  were  very  zealous 
and  active  officers,  had  succeeded  in  reaching  the  summit 
of  the  Sierra  de  Merodal,  showed  that  the  country  was 
very  closely  watched  by  the  guerillas.  I  reckoned  out  the 
distance  upon  a  map.  There  were  ten  miles  of  open  coun- 
try to  be  crossed  before  reaching  the  hills.  Then  came 
a  belt  of  forest  on  the  lower  slopes  of  the  mountain,  which 
may  have  been  three  or  four  miles  wide.  And  then  there 
was  the  actual  peak  itself,  of  no  very  great  height,  but 
without  any  cover  to  conceal  me.  Those  were  the  three 
stages  of  my  journey. 

It  seemed  to  me  that  once  I  had  reached  the  shelter  of 
the  wood  all  would  be  easy,  for  I  could  lie  concealed  with- 
in its  shadows  and  climb  upward  under  the  cover  of  night. 
From  eight  till  twelve  would  give  me  four  hours  of  dark- 
ness in  which  to  make  the  ascent.  It  was  only  the  first 
stage,  then,  which  I  had  seriously  to  consider. 

Over  that  flat  country  there  lay  the  inviting  white 
road,  and  I  remembered  that  my  comrades  had  both  taken 
their  horses.  That  was  clearly  their  ruin,  for  nothing 
could  be  easier  than  for  the  brigands  to  keep  watch  upon 
the  road,  and  to  lay  an  ambush  for  all  who  passed  along 
it.    It  would  not  be  difficult  for  me  to  ride  across  country, 


HOW    HE    SAVED    THE    ARMY         113 

and  I  was  well  horsed  at  that  time,  for  I  had  not  only 
Violette  and  Rataplan,  who  were  two  of  the  finest  mounts 
in  the  army,  but  I  had  the  splendid  black  English  hunter 
which  I  had  taken  from  Sir  Cotton.  However,  after 
much  thought,  I  determined  to  go  upon  foot,  since  I 
should  then  be  in  a  better  state  to  take  advantage  of  any 
chance  which  might  offer.  As  to  my  dress,  I  covered  my 
Hussar  uniform  with  a  long  cloak,  and  I  put  a  grey  for- 
age cap  upon  my  head.  You  may  ask  why  I  did  not 
dress  as  a  peasant,  but  I  answer  that  a  man  of  honour 
has  no  desire  to  die  the  death  of  a  spy.  It  Is  one  thing 
to  be  murdered,  and  it  is  another  to  be  justly  executed 
by  the  laws  of  war.  I  would  not  run  the  risk  of  such  an 
end. 

In  the  late  afternoon  I  stole  out  of  tne  camp  and 
passed  through  the  line  of  our  pickets.  Beneath  my 
cloak  I  had  a  field-glass  and  a  pocket  pistol,  as  well  as 
my  sword.    In  my  pocket  were  tinder,  flint,  and  steel. 

For  two  or  three  miles  I  kept  under  cover  of  the  vine- 
yards, and  made  such  good  progress  that  my  heart  was 
high  within  me,  and  I  thought  to  myself  that  it  only 
needed  a  man  of  some  brains  to  take  the  matter  in  hand 
to  bring  it  easily  to  success.  Of  course,  Cortex  and  Du- 
plessis  galloping  down  the  high-road  would  be  easily  seen, 


114   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

but  the  intelligent  Gerard  lurking  among  the  vines  was 
quite  another  person.  I  dare  say  I  had  got  as  far  as  five 
miles  before  I  met  any  check.  At  that  point  there  is  a 
small  wine-house,  round  which  I  perceived  some  carts  and 
a  number  of  people,  the  first  that  I  had  seen.  Now  that 
I  was  well  outside  the  lines  I  knew  that  every  person  was 
my  enemy,  so  I  crouched  lower  while  I  stole  along  to  a 
point  from  which  I  could  get  a  better  view  of  what  was 
going  on.  I  then  perceived  that  these  people  were  peas- 
ants, who  were  loading  two  waggons  with  empty  wine- 
casks.  I  failed  to  see  how  they  could  either  help  or  hin- 
der me,  so  I  continued  upon  my  way. 

But  soon  I  understood  that  my  task  was  not  so  simple 
as  had  appeared.  As  the  ground  rose  the  vineyards 
ceased,  and  I  came  upon  a  stretch  of  open  country 
studded  with  low  hills.  Crouching  in  a  ditch  I  examined 
them  with  a  glass,  and  I  very  soon  perceived  that  there 
was  a  watcher  upon  every  one  of  them,  and  that  these 
people  had  a  line  of  pickets  and  outposts  thrown  forward 
exactly  like  our  own.  I  had  heard  of  the  discipline  which 
was  practised  by  this  scoundrel  whom  they  called  "The 
Smiler,"  and  this,  no  doubt,  was  an  example  of  it.  Be- 
tween the  hills  there  was  a  cordon  of  sentries,  and  though 
I  worked  some  distance  round  to  the  flank  I  still  found 


HOW   HE    SAVED   THE  ARMY  115 

myself  faced  by  the  enemy.  It  was  a  puzzle  what  to  do. 
There  was  so  little  cover  that  a  rat  could  hardly  cross 
without  being  seen.  Of  course,  it  would  be  easy  enough 
to  slip  through  at  night,  as  I  had  done  with  the  English 
at  Torres  Vedras,  but  I  was  still  far  from  the  mountain 
and  I  could  not  in  that  case  reach  it  in  time  to  light  the 
midnight  beacon.  I  lay  in  my  ditch  and  I  made  a  thou- 
sand plans,  each  more  dangerous  than  the  last.  And  then 
suddenly  I  had  that  flash  of  light  which  comes  to  the  brave 
man  who  refuses  to  despair. 

You  remember  I  have  mentioned  that  two  waggons 
were  loading  up  with  empty  casks  at  the  inn.  The  heads ' 
of  the  oxen  were  turned  to  the  east,  and  it  was  evident 
that  those  waggons  were  going  in  the  direction  which  I 
desired.  Could  I  only  conceal  myself  upon  one  of  them, 
what  better  and  easier  way  could  I  find  of  passing 
through  the  lines  of  the  guerillas  ?  So  simple  and  so  good 
was  the  plan  that  I  could  not  restrain  a  cry  of  delight 
as  it  crossed  my  mind,  and  I  hurried  away  instantly  in 
the  direction  of  the  inn.  There,  from  behind  some  bushes, 
I  had  a  good  look  at  what  was  going  on  upon  the  road. 

There  were  three  peasants  with  red  montero  caps  load- 
ing the  barrels,  and  they  had  completed  one  waggon  and 
the  lower  tier  of  the  other.     A  number  of  empty  barrels 


116   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

still  lay  outside  the  wine-house  waiting  to  be  put  on.  For- 
tune was  my  friend — I  have  always  said  that  she  is  a 
woman  and  cannot  resist  a  dashing  young  Hussar.  As  I 
watched,  the  three  fellows  went  into  the  inn,  for  the  day 
was  hot  and  they  were  thirsty  after  their  labour.  Quick 
as  a  flash  I  darted  out  from  my  hiding-place,  climbed 
on  to  the  waggon,  and  crept  into  one  of  the  empty  casks. 
It  had  a  bottom  but  no  top,  and  it  lay  upon  its  side  with 
the  open  end  inward.  There  I  crouched  like  a  dog  in  its 
kennel,  my  knees  drawn  up  to  my  chin,  for  the  barrels 
were  not  very  large  and  I  am  a  well-grown  man.  As  I 
lay  there,  out  came  the  three  peasants  again,  and  present- 
ly I  heard  a  crash  upon  the  top  of  me  which  told  that 
I  had  another  barrel  above  me.  They  piled  them  upon 
the  cart  until  I  could  not  imagine  how  I  was  ever  to  get 
out  again.  However,  it  is  time  to  think  of  crossing  the 
Vistula  when  you  are  over  the  Rhine,  and  I  had  no  doubt 
that  if  chance  and  my  own  wits  had  carried  me  so  far 
they  would  carry  me  farther. 

Soon,  when  the  waggon  was  full,  they  set  forth  upon 
their  way,  and  I  within  my  barrel  chuckled  at  every  step, 
for  it  was  carrying  me  whither  I  wished  to  go.  We  trav- 
elled slowly,  and  the  peasants  walked  beside  the  waggons. 
This  I  knew,  because  I  heard  their  voices  close  to  mQ. 


HOW   HE    SAVED   THE  ARMY  117 

They  seemed  to  me  to  be  very  merry  fellows,  for  they 
laughed  heartily  as  they  went.  What  the  joke  was  I 
could  not  understand.  Though  I  speak  their  language 
fairly  well  I  could  not  hear  anything  comic  in  the  scraps 
of  their  conversation  which  met  my  ear. 

I  reckoned  that  at  the  rate  of  walking  of  a  team  of 
oxen  we  covered  about  two  miles  an  hour.  Therefore, 
when  I  was  sure  that  two  and  a  half  hours  had  passed — 
such  hours,  my  friends,  cramped,  suffocated,  and  nearly 
poisoned  with  the  fumes  of  the  lees — when  they  had 
passed,  I  was  sure  that  the  dangerous  open  country  was 
behind  us,  and  that  we  were  upon  the  edge  of  the  forest 
and  the  mountain.  So  now  I  had  to  turn  my  mind  upon 
how  I  was  to  get  out  of  my  barrel.  I  had  thought  of  sev- 
eral ways,  and  was  balancing  one  against  the  other  when 
the  question  was  decided  for  me  in  a  very  simple  but  un- 
expected manner. 

The  waggon  stopped  suddenly  with  a  jerk,  and  I  heard 
a  number  of  gruff  voices  in  excited  talk.  "Where, 
where?"  cried  one.  "On  our  cart,"  said  another.  "Who 
is  he?"  said  a  third.  "A  French  officer;  I  saw  his  cap 
and  his  boots."  They  all  roared  with  laughter.  "I  was 
looking  out  of  the  window  of  the  posada  and  I  saw  him 
spring  into  the  cask  like  a  toreador  with  a  Seville  bull  at 


118   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

his  heels."    "Which  cask,  then?"    "It  was  this  one,"  said 
the  fellow,  and  sure  enough  his  fist  struck  the  wood  beside 

}    my  head. 

'  What  a  situation,  my  friends,  for  a  man  of  my  stand- 
ing !  I  blush  now,  after  forty  years,  when  I  think  of  it. 
To  be  trussed  like  a  fowl  and  to  listen  helplessly  to  the 
rude  laughter  of  these  boors — to  know,  too,  that  my  mis- 
sion had  come  to  an  ignominious  and  even  ridiculous  end 
— I  would  have  blessed  the  man  who  would  have  sent  a 
bullet  through  the  cask  and  freed  me  from  my  misery. 

I  heard  the  crashing  of  the  barrels  as  they  hurled 
them  off  the  waggon,  and  then  a  couple  of  bearded  faces 
and  the  muzzles  of  two  guns  looked  in  at  me.  They  seized 
me  by  the  sleeves  of  my  coat,  and  they  dragged  me  out 
into  the  daylight.  A  strange  figure  I  must  have  looked 
as  I  stood  blinking  and  gaping  in  the  blinding  sunlight. 
My  body  was  bent  like  a  cripple's,  for  I  could  not 
straighten  my  stiff  joints,  and  half  my  coat  was  as  red 
as  an  English  soldier's  from  the  lees  in  which  I  had  lain. 
They  laughed  and  laughed,  these  dogs,  and  as  I  tried  to 
express  by  my  bearing  and  gestures  the  contempt  in 
which  I  held  them  their  laughter  grew  all  the  louder.  But 
even  in  these  hard  circumstances  I  bore  myself  like  the 
man  I  am,  and  as  I  cast  my  eye  slowly  round  I  did 


HOW   HE    SAVED   THE  ARMY  119 

not  find  that  any  of  the  laughers  were  very  ready  to 
face  it. 

That  one  glance  round  was  enough  to  tell  me  exactly 
how  I  was  situated.  I  had  been  betrayed  by  these  peas- 
ants into  the  hands  of  an  outpost  of  guerillas.  There 
were  eight  of  thiem,  savage-looking,  hairy  creatures,  with 
cotton  handkerchiefs  under  their  sombreros,  and  many- 
buttoned  jackets  with  coloured  sashes  round  the  waist. 
Each  had  a  gun  and  one  or  two  pistols  stuck  in  his  girdle. 
The  leader,  a  great,  bearded  ruffian,  held  his  gun  against 
my  ear  while  the  others  searched  my  pockets,  taking  from 
me  my  overcoat,  my  pistol,  my  glass,  my  sword,  and, 
worst  of  all,  my  flint  and  steel  and  tinder.  Come  what 
might,  I  was  ruined,  for  I  had  no  longer  the  means  of 
lighting  the  beacon  even  if  I  should  reach  it. 

Eight  of  them,  my  friends,  with  three  peasants,  and  I 
unarmed !  Was  Etienne  Gerard  in  despair?  Did  he  lose 
his  wits?  Ah,  you  know  me  too  well;  but  they  did  not 
know  me  yet,  these  dogs  of  brigands.  Never  have  I  made 
so  supreme  and  astounding  an  effort  as  at  this  very  in- 
stant when  all  seemed  lost.  Yet  you  might  guess  many 
times  before  you  would  hit  upon  the  device  by  which  I 
escaped  them.    Listen  and  I  will  tell  you. 

They  had  dragged  me  from  the  waggon  when  they 


UO       THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

searched  me,  and  I  stood,  still  twisted  and  warped,  in  the 
midst  of  them.  But  the  stiffness  was  wearing  off,  and 
already  my  mind  was  very  actively  looking  out  for  some 
method  of  breaking  away.  It  was  a  narrow  pass  in  which 
the  brigands  had  their  outpost.  It  was  bounded  on  the 
one  hand  by  a  steep  mountain  side.  On  the  other  the 
ground  fell  away  in  a  very  long  slope,  which  ended  in  a 
bushy  valley  many  hundreds  of  feet  below.  These  fel- 
lows, you  understand,  were  hardy  mountaineers,  who 
could  travel  either  up  hill  or  down  very  much  quicker 
than  I.  They  wore  abarcas,  or  shoes  of  skin,  tied  on  like 
sandals,  which  gave  them  a  foothold  everywhere.  A  less 
resolute  man  would  have  despaired.  But  in  an  instant  I 
saw  and  used  the  strange  chance  which  Fortune  had 
placed  in  my  way.  On  the  very  edge  of  the  slope  was  one 
of  the  wine-barrels.  I  moved  slowly  toward  it,  and  then 
with  a  tiger  spring  I  dived  into  it  feet  foremost,  and 
with  a  roll  of  my  body  I  tipped  it  over  the  side  of 
the  hiU. 

Shall  I  ever  forget  that  dreadful  journey — ^how  I 
bounded  and  crashed  and  whizzed  down  that  terrible 
slope  ?  I  had  dug  in  my  knees  and  elbows,  bunching  my 
body  into  a  compact  bundle  so  as  to  steady  it ;  but  my  head 
projected  from  the  end,  and  it  was  a  marvel  that  I  did 


HOW   HE    SAVED   THE  ARMY  121 

not  dash  out  my  brains.  There  were  long,  smooth  slopes, 
and  then  came  steeper  scarps  where  the  barrel  ceased  to 
roll,  and  sprang  into  the  air  like  a  goat,  coming  ^owa 
with  a  rattle  and  crash  which  jarred  every  bone  in  my 
body.  How  the  wind  whistled  in  my  ears,  and  my  head 
turned  and  turned  until  I  was  sick  and  giddy  and  nearly 
senseless!  Then,  with  a  swish  and  a  great  rasping  and 
crackling  of  branches,  I  reached  the  bushes  which  I  had 
seen  so  far  below  me.  Through  them  I  broke  my  way, 
down  a  slope  beyond,  and  deep  into  another  patch  of 
underwood,  where,  striking  a  sapling,  my  barrel  flew  to 
pieces.  From  amid  a  heap  of  staves  and  hoops  I  crawled 
out,  my  body  aching  in  every  inch  of  it,  but  my  heart 
singing  loudly  with  joy  and  my  spirit  high  within  me, 
for  I  knew  how  great  was  the  feat  which  I  had  accom- 
plished, and  I  already  seemed  to  see  the  beacon  blazing 
on  the  hill. 

A  horrible  nausea  had  seized  me  from  the  tossing  which 
I  had  undergone,  and  I  felt  as  I  did  upon  the  ocean  when 
first  I  experienced  those  movements  of  which  the  English 
have  taken  so  perfidious  an  advantage.  I  had  to  sit  for 
a  few  moments  with  my  head  upon  my  hands  beside  the 
ruins  of  my  barrel.  But  there  was  no  time  for  rest.  Al- 
ready I  heard  shouts  above  me  which  told  that  my  pur- 


m       THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

fiuers  were  descending  the  hill.  I  dashed  into  the  thick- 
est part  of  the  underwood,  and  I  ran  and  ran  until  I 
was  utterly  exhausted.  Then  I  lay  panting  and  listened 
with  all  my  ears,  but  no  sound  came  to  them.  I  had 
shaken  off  my  enemies.  ^ 

When  I  had  recovered  my  breath  I  travelled  swiftly 
on,  and  waded  knee-deep  through  several  brooks,  for  it 
came  into  my  head  that  they  might  follow  me  with  dogs. 
On  gaining  a  clear  place  and  looking  round  me,  I  found 
to  my  delight  that  in  spite  of  my  adventures  I  had  not 
been  much  out  of  my  way.  Above  me  towered  the  peak  of 
Merodal,  with  its  bare  and  bold  summit  shooting  out  of 
the  groves  of  dwarf  oaks  which  shrouded  its  flanks. 
These  groves  were  the  continuation  of  the  cover  under 
which  I  found  myself,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  had 
nothing  to  fear  now  until  I  reached  the  other  side  of  the 
forest.  At  the  same  time  I  knew  that  every  man's  hand 
was  against  me,  that  I  was  unarmed,  and  that  there  were 
many  people  about  me.  I  saw  no  one,  but  several  times 
I  heard  shrill  whistles,  and  once  the  sound  of  a  gun  in  the 
distance. 

It  was  hard  work  pushing  one's  way  through  the 
bushes,  and  so  I  was  glad  when  I  came  to  the  larger  trees 
and  found  a  path  which  led  between  them.    Of  course,  1 


HOW   HE    SAVED   THE  ARMY  123 

was  too  wise  to  walk  upon  it,  but  I  kept  near  it  and  fol- 
lowed its  course.  I  had  gone  some  distance,  and  had,  as  I 
imagined,  nearly  reached  the  limit  of  the  wood,  when  a 
strange,  moaning  sound  fell  upon  my  ears.  At  first  I 
thought  it  was  the  cry  of  some  animal,  but  then  there 
came  words,  of  which  I  only  caught  the  French  exclama- 
tion, "Mow  Dieul"  With  great  caution  I  advanced  in 
the  direction  from  which  the  sound  proceeded,  and  this 
is  what  I  saw. 

On  a  couch  of  dried  leaves  there  was  stretched  a  man 
dressed  in  the  same  grey  uniform  which  I  wore  myself. 
He  was  evidently  horribly  wounded,  for  he  held  a  cloth 
to  his  breast  which  was  crimson  with  his  blood.  A  pool 
had  formed  all  round  his  couch,  and  he  lay  in  a  haze  of 
flies,  whose  buzzing  and  droning  would  certainly  have 
called  my  attention  if  his  groans  had  not  come  to  my  ear. 
I  lay  for  a  moment,  fearing  some  trap,  and  then,  my  pity 
and  loyalty  rising  above  all  other  feelings,  I  ran  forward 
and  knelt  by  his  side.  He  turned  a  haggard  face  upon 
me,  and  it  was  Duplessis,  the  man  who  had  gone  before 
me.  It  needed  but  one  glance  at  his  sunken  cheeks  and 
glazing  eyes  to  tell  me  that  he  was  dying. 

"Gerard!"  said  he;  "Gerard!" 

I  could  but  look  my  sympathy,  but  he,  though  the  life 


IM       THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

was  ebbing  swiftly  out  of  him,  still  kept  his  duty  before 
him,  like  the  gallant  gentleman  he  was. 

"The  beacon,  Gerard !    You  will  light  it?'* 

"Have  you  flint  and  steel?" 

"It  is  here!" 

"Then  I  will  light  it  to-night." 

"I  die  happy  to  hear  you  say  so.  They  shot  me,  Ger- 
ard.   But  you  will  tell  the  Marshal  that  I  did  my  best." 

"And  Cortex?" 

"He  was  less  fortunate.  He  fell  into  their  hands  and 
died  horribly.  If  you  see  that  you  cannot  get  away, 
Gerard,  put  a  bullet  into  your  own  heart.  Don't  die  as 
Cortex  did." 

I  could  see  that  his  breath  was  failing,  and  I  bent  low 
to  catch  his  words. 

"Can  you  tell  me  anything  which  can  help  me  in  my 
task?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,  yes;  de  Pombal.  He  will  help  you.  Trust  de 
Pombal."  With  the  words  his  head  fell  back  and  he  was 
dead. 

"Trust  de  Pombal.  It  is  good  advice."  To  my 
amazement  a  man  was  standing  at  the  very  side  of  me. 
So  absorbed  had  I  been  in  my  comrade's  words  and  intent 
on  his  advice  that  he  had  crept  up  without  my  observing 


HOW   HE   SAVED   THE   ARMY  125 

him.  Now  I  sprang  to  my  feet  and  faced  him.  He  was 
a  tall,  dark  fellow,  black-haired,  black-eyed,  black-beard- 
ed, with  a  long,  sad  face.  In  his  hand  he  had  a  wine-bot- 
tle and  over  his  shoulder  was  slung  one  of  the  trabucos 
or  blunderbusses  which  these  fellows  bear.  He  made  no 
effort  to  unsling  it,  and  I  understood  that  this  was  the 
man  to  whom  my  dead  friend  had  commended  me. 

"Alas,  he  is  gone!"  said  he,  bending  over  Duplessis. 
"He  fled  into  the  wood  after  he  was  shot,  but  I  was  fortu- 
nate enough  to  find  where  he  had  fallen  and  to  make  his 
last  hours  more  easy.  This  couch  was  my  making,  and  I 
had  brought  this  wine  to  slake  his  thirst." 

"Sir,"  said  I,  "in  the  name  of  France  I  thank  you.  I 
am  but  a  colonel  of  light  cavalry,  but  I  am  Etienne 
Gerard,  and  the  name  stands  for  something  in  the  French 
army.    May  I  ask " 

"Yes,  sir,  I  am  Aloysius  de  Pombal,  younger  brother 
of  the  famous  nobleman  of  that  name.  At  present  I  am 
the  first  lieutenant  in  the  band  of  the  guerilla  chief  who 
is  usually  known  as  Manuelo,  *The  Smiler.'  " 

My  word,  I  clapped  my  hand  to  the  place  where  my 
pistol  should  have  been,  but  the  man  only  smiled  at  the 
gesture. 

"I  am  his  first  lieutenant,  but  I  am  also  his  deadly  en- 


126   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

emy,"  said  he.  He  slipped  off  his  jacket  and  pulled  up 
his  shirt  as  he  spoke.  "Look  at  this !"  he  cried,  and  he 
turned  upon  me  a  back  which  was  all  scored  and  lacerated 
with  red  and  purple  weals.  "This  is  what  'The  Smilcr' 
has  done  to  me,  a  man  with  the  noblest  blood  of  Portugal 
in  my  veins.  What  I  will  do  to  'The  Smiler'  you  have 
still  to  see." 

There  was  such  fury  in  his  eyes  and  in  the  grin  of  his 
white  teeth  that  I  could  no  longer  doubt  his  truth,  with 
that  clotted  and  oozing  back  to  corroborate  his  words. 

"I  have  ten  men  sworn  to  stand  by  me,"  said  he.  "In 
a  few  days  I  hope  to  join  your  army,  when  I  have  done 
my  work  here.  In  the  meanwhile — "  A  strange  change 
came  over  his  face,  and  he  suddenly  slung  his  musket  to 
the  front :  "Hold  up  your  hands,  you  French  hound !"  he 
yelled.     "Up  with  them,  or  I  blow  your  head  off !" 

You  start,  my  friends !  You  stare !  Think,  then,  how 
I  stared  and  started  at  this  sudden  ending  of  our  talk. 
There  was  the  black  muzzle  and  there  the  dark,  angry 
eyes  behind  it.  What  could  I  do?  I  was  helpless.  I 
raised  my  hands  in  the  air.  At  the  same  moment  voices 
sounded  from  all  parts  of  the  wood,  there  were  crying 
and  calling  and  rushing  of  m.any  feet.  A  swarm  of 
dreadful   figures   broke   through    the    green   bushes,   a 


HOW   HE   SAVED  THE  ARMY  127 

dozen  hands  seized  me,  and  I,  poor,  luckless,  frenzied 
I,  was  a  prisoner  once  more.  Thank  God,  there  was  no 
pistol  which  I  could  have  plucked  from  my  belt  and 
snapped  at  my  own  head.  Had  I  been  armed  at  that 
moment  I  should  not  be  sitting  here  in  this  cafe  and  tell- 
ing you  these  old-world  tales. 

With  grimy,  hairy  hands  clutching  me  on  every  side 
I  was  led  along  the  pathway  through  the  wood,  the 
villain  de  Pombal  giving  directions  to  my  captors.  Four 
of  the  brigands  carried  up  the  dead  body  of  Dupiessis. 
The  shadows  of  evening  were  already  falling  when  we 
cleared  the  forest  and  came  out  upon  the  mountain-side. 
Up  this  I  was  driven  until  we  reached  the  headquarters 
of  the  guerillas,  which  lay  in  a  cleft  close  to  the  summit 
of  the  mountain.  There  was  the  beacon  which  had  cost 
me  so  much,  a  square  stack  of  wood,  immediately  above 
our  heads.  Below  were  two  or  three  huts  which  had 
belonged,  no  doubt,  to  goatherds,  and  which  were  now 
used  to  shelter  these  rascals.  Into  one  of  these  I  was 
cast,  bound  and  helpless,  and  the  dead  body  of  my  poor 
comrade  was  laid  beside  me. 

I  was  lying  there  with  the  one  thought  still  consum- 
ing me,  how  to  wait  a  few  hours  and  to  get  at  that  pile 
of  fagots  above  my  head,  when  the  door  of  my  prison 


128   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

opened  and  a  man  entered.  Had  my  hands  been  free  I 
should  have  flown  at  his  throat,  for  it  was  none  other 
than  de  Pombal.  A  couple  of  brigands  were  at  his 
heels,  but  he  ordered  them  back  and  closed  the  door 
behind  him. 

"You  villain!"  said  I. 

"Hush!"  he  cried.  "Speak  low,  for  I  do  not  know 
who  may  be  listening,  and  my  life  is  at  stake.  I  have 
some  words  to  say  to  you.  Colonel  Gerard;  I  wish  well 
to  you,  as  I  did  to  your  dead  companion.  As  I  spoke 
to  you  beside  his  body  I  saw  that  we  were  surrounded, 
and  that  your  capture  was  unavoidable.  I  should  have 
shared  your  fate  had  I  hesitated.  I  instantly  captured 
you  myself,  so  as  to  preserve  the  confidence  of  the  band. 
Your  own  sense  will  tell  you  that  there  was  nothing  else 
for  me  to  do.  I  do  not  know  now  whether  I  can  save 
you,  but  at  least  I  will  try."  * 

This  was  a  new  light  upon  the  situation.  I  told  him 
that  I  could  not  tell  how  far  he  spoke  the  truth,  but 
that  I  would  judge  him  by  his  actions. 

"I  ask  nothing  better,"  said  he.  "A  word  of  advice 
to  you!  The  chief  will  see  you  now.  Speak  him  fair, 
or  he  will  have  you  sawn  between  two  planks.  Contra- 
dict nothing  he  says.     Give  him  such  information  as  he 


HOW   HE   SAVED  THE  ARMY  129 

wants.  It  is  your  only  chance.  If  you  can  gain  time 
something  may  come  in  our  favour.  Now,  I  have  no 
more  time.  Come  at  once,  or  suspicion  may  be  awak- 
ened." He  helped  me  to  rise,  and  then,  opening  the  door, 
he  dragged  me  out  very  roughly,  and  with  the  aid  of  the 
fellows  outside  he  brutally  pushed  and  thrust  me  to  the 
place  where  the  guerilla  chief  was  seated,  with  his  rude 
followers  gathered  round  him. 

A  remarkable  man  was  Manuelo,  "The  Smiler."  He 
was  fat  and  florid  and  comfortable,  with  a  big,  clean- 
shaven face  and  a  bald  head,  the  very  model  of  a  kindly 
father  of  a  family.  As  I  looked  at  his  honest  smile  I 
could  scarcely  believe  that  this  was,  indeed,  the  infamous 
ruffian  whose  name  was  a  horror  through  the  English 
Army  as  well  as  our  own.  It  is  well  known  that  Trent, 
who  was  a  British  officer,  afterward  had  the  fellow 
hanged  for  his  brutalities.  He  sat  upon  a  boulder  and 
he  beamed  upon  me  \i\e  one  who  meets  an  old  acquaint- 
ance. I  observed,  however,  that  one  of  his  men  leaned 
upon  a  long  saw,  and  the  sight  was  enough  to  cure  me 
of  all  delusions. 

"Good  evening,  Colonel  Gerard,"  said  he.  "We  have 
been  highly  honoured  by  General  Massena's  staff: 
Major  Cortex  one  day,  Colonel  Duplessis  the  next,  and 


130   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

now  Colonel  Gerard.  Possibly  the  Marshal  himself  may 
be  induced  to  honour  us  with  a  visit.  You  have  seen 
Duplessis,  I  understand.  Cortex  you  will  find  nailed  to 
a  tree  down  yonder.  It  only  remains  to  be  decided  how 
we  can  best  dispose  of  yourself." 

It  was  not  a  cheering  speech;  but  all  the  time  his  fat 
face  was  wreathed  in  smiles,  and  he  lisped  out  his  words 
in  the  most  mincing  and  amiable  fashion.  Now,  how- 
ever, he  suddenly  leaned  forward,  and  I  read  a  very  real 
intensity  in  his  eyes. 

"Colonel  Gerard,"  said  he,  "I  cannot  promise  you 
your  life,  for  it  is  not  our  custom,  but  I  can  give  you 
an  easy  death  or  I  can  give  you  a  terrible  one.  Which 
shall  it  be?" 

"What  do  you  wish  me  to  do  in  exchange.?" 

"If  you  would  die  easy  I  ask  you  to  give  me  truthful 
answers  to  the  questions  which  I  ask." 

A  sudden  thought  flashed  through  my  mind. 

"You  wish  to  kill  me,"  said  I;  "it  cannot  matter  to 
you  how  I  die.  If  I  answer  your  questions,  will  you  let 
me  choose  the  manner  of  my  own  death.?" 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  he,  "so  long  as  it  is  before  mid- 
night to-night." 

"Swear  it !"  I  cried. 


HOW   HE   SAVED  THE  ARMY  131 

"The  word  of  a  Portuguese  gentleman  is  sufficient," 
said  he. 

"Not  a  word  will  I  say  until  you  have  sworn  it." 

He  flushed  with  anger  and  his  eyes  swept  round  tow- 
ard the  saw.  But  he  understood  from  my  tone  that  I 
meant  what  I  said,  and  that  I  was  not  a  man  to  be 
bullied  into  submission.  He  pulled  a  cross  from  under 
his  zammara  or  jacket  of  black  sheepskin. 

"I  swear  it,"  said  he. 

Oh,  my  joy  as  I  heard  the  words!  What  an  end — 
what  an  end  for  the  first  swordsman  of  France !  I  could 
have  laughed  with  delight  at  the  thought. 

"Now,  your  questions!"  said  I. 

"You  swear  in  turn  to  answer  them  truly?" 

"I  do,  upon  the  honour  of  a  gentleman  and  a  soldier." 
It  was,  as  you  perceive,  a  terrible  thing  that  I  prom- 
ised, but  what  was  it  compared  to  what  I  might  gain 
by  compliance? 

"This  is  a  very  fair  and  a  very  interesting  bar- 
gain," said  he,  taking  a  note-book  from  his  pocket. 
"Would  you  kindly  turn  your  gaze  toward  the  French 
camp  ?" 

Following  the  direction  of  his  gesture,  I  turned  and 
looked  down  upon  the  camp  in  the  plain  beneath  us.    In 


132   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

spite  of  the  fifteen  miles,  one  could  in  that  clear  atmos- 
phere see  every  detail  with  the  utmost  distinctness. 
There  were  the  long  squares  of  our  tents  and  our  huts, 
with  the  cavalry  lines  and  the  dark  patches  which  marked 
the  ten  batteries  of  artillery.  How  sad  to  think  of  my 
magnificent  regiment  waiting  down  yonder,  and  to  know 
that  they  would  never  see  their  colonel  again !  With  one 
squadron  of  them  I  could  have  swept  all  these  cut-throats 
off  the  face  of  the  earth.  My  eager  eyes  filled  with  tears 
as  I  looked  at  the  corner  of  the  camp  where  I  knew  that 
there  were  eight  hundred  men,  any  one  of  whom  would 
have  died  for  his  colonel.  But  my  sadness  vanished  when 
I  saw  beyond  the  tents  the  plumes  of  smoke  which  marked 
the  headquarters  at  Torres  Novas.  There  was  Massena, 
and,  please  God,  at  the  cost  of  my  life  his  mission  would 
that  night  be  done.  A  spasm  of  pride  and  exultation 
filled  my  breast.  I  should  have  liked  to  have  had  a  voice 
of  tKunder  that  I  might  call  to  them,  "Behold  it  is  I, 
Etienne  Gerard,  who  will  die  in  order  to  save  the  army  of 
Clausel!"  It  was,  indeed,  sad  to  think  that  so  noble  a 
deed  should  be  done,  and  that  no  one  should  be  there  to 
tell  the  tale. 

"Now,"  said  the  brigand  chief,  "you  see  the  camp  and 
you  see  also  the  road  which  leads  to  Coimbra.     It  is 


HOW   HE    SAVED   THE  ARMY  133 

crowded  with  your  f ourgons  and  your  ambulances.  Does 
this  mean  that  Massena  is  about  to  retreat?" 

One  could  see  the  dark  moving  lines  of  waggons  with 
an  occasional  flash  of  steel  from  the  escort.  There  could, 
apart  from  my  promise,  be  no  indiscretion  in  admitting 
that  which  was  already  obvious. 

"He  will  retreat,"  said  I. 

"By  Coimbra?" 

"I  believe  so." 

"But  the  army  of  Clausel.?" 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders. 

"Every  path  to  the  south  is  blocked.  No  message  can 
reach  them.  If  Massena  falls  back  the  army  of  Clausel 
is  doomed." 

"It  must  take  its  chance,"  said  I. 

"How  many  men  has  he?" 

"I  should  say  about  fourteen  thousand." 

"How  much  cavalry?" 

"One  brigade  of  Montbrun's  Division." 

"What  regiments?" 

"The  4th  Chasseurs,  the  9th  Hussars,  and  a  regiment 
of  Cuirassiers." 

"Quite  right,"  said  he,  looking  at  his  note-book.  "I 
can  tell  you  speak  the  truth,  and  Heaven  help  you  if  you 


134   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

don't."  Then,  division  by  division,  he  went  over  the 
whole  army,  asking  the  composition  of  each  brigade. 
Need  I  tell  you  that  I  would  have  had  my  tongue  torn 
out  before  I  would  have  told  him  such  things  had  I  not 
a  greater  end  in  view?  I  would  let  him  know  all  if  I 
could  but  save  the  army  of  Clausel, 

At  last  he  closed  his  note-book  and  replaced  it  in  his 
pocket.  "I  am  obliged  to  you  for  this  information, 
which  shall  reach  Lord  Wellington  to-morrow,"  said  he. 
"You  have  done  your  share  of  the  bargain ;  it  is  for  me 
now  to  perform  mine.  How  would  you  wish  to  die.^  As 
a  soldier  you  would,  no  doubt,  prefer  to  be  shot,  but  some 
think  that  a  jump  over  the  Merodal  precipice  is  really  an 
easier  death.  A  good  few  have  taken  it,  but  we  were,  un- 
fortunately, never  able  to  get  an  opinion  from  them 
afterward.  There  is  the  saw,  too,  which  does  not  appear 
to  be  popular.  We  could  hang  you,  no  doubt,  but  it 
would  involve  the  inconvenience  of  going  down  to  the 
wood.  However,  a  promise  is  a  promise,  and  you  seem  to 
be  an  excellent  fellow,  so  we  will  spare  no  pains  to  meet 
your  wishes." 

"You  said,"  I  answered,  "that  I  must  die  before  mid- 
night. I  will  choose,  therefore,  just  one  minute  before 
that  hour." 


HOW   HE   SAVED  THE  ARMY  135 

"Very  good,"  said  he.  "Such  clinging  to  hfe  is  rather 
childish,  but  your  wishes  shall  be  met." 

"As  to  the  method,"  I  added,  "I  love  a  death  which  all 
the  world  can  see.  Put  me  on  yonder  pile  of  fagots  and 
burn  me  alive,  as  saints  and  martyrs  have  been  burned 
before  me.  That  is  no  common  end,  but  one  which  an 
Emperor  might  envy." 

The  idea  seemed  to  amuse  him  very  much.  "Why 
not?"  said  he.  "If  Massena  has  sent  you  to  spy  upon  us, 
he  may  guess  what  the  fire  upon  the  mountain  means." 

"Exactly,"  said  I.  "You  have  hit  upon  my  very  rea- 
son. He  will  guess,  and  all  will  know,  that  I  have  died  a 
soldier's  death." 

"I  see  no  objection  whatever,"  said  the  brigand,  with 
his  abominable  smile.  "I  will  send  some  goat's  flesh  and 
wine  into  your  hut.  The  sun  is  sinking  and  it  is  nearly 
eight  o'clock.    In  four  hours  be  ready  for  your  end." 

It  was  a  beautiful  world  to  be  leaving.  I  looked  at  the 
golden  haze  below,  where  the  last  rays  of  the  sinking  sun 
shone  upon  the  blue  waters  of  the  winding  Tagus  and 
gleamed  upon  the  white  sails  of  the  English  transports. 
Very  beautiful  it  was,  and  very  sad  to  leave;  but  there 
are  things  more  beautiful  than  that.  The  death  that  is 
died  for  the  sake  of  others,  honour,  and  duty,  and  loy- 


136   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

alty,  and  love — these  are  the  beauties  far  brighter  than 
any  which  the  eye  can  see.  My  breast  was  filled  with  ad- 
miration for  my  own  most  noble  conduct,  and  with  won- 
der whether  any  soul  would  ever  come  to  know  how  I  had 
placed  myself  in  the  heart  of  the  beacon  which  saved  the 
army  of  Clausel.  I  hoped  so  and  I  prayed  so,  for  what 
a  consolation  it  would  be  to  my  mother,  what  an  example 
to  the  army,  what  a  pride  to  my  Hussars!  When  de 
Pombal  came  at  last  into  my  hut  with  the  food  and  the 
wine,  the  first  request  I  made  him  was  that  he  would  write 
an  account  of  my  death  and  send  it  to  the  French  camp. 
He  answered  not  a  word,  but  I  ate  my  supper  with  a  bet- 
ter appetite  from  the  thought  that  my  glorious  fate 
would  not  be  altogether  unknown. 

I  had  been  there  about  two  hours  when  the  door  opened 
again,  and  the  chief  stood  looking  in.  I  was  in  darkness, 
but  a  brigand  with  a  torch  stood  beside  him,  and  I  saw 
his  eyes  and  his  teeth  gleaming  as  he  peered  at  me. 

"Ready.?"  he  asked. 

"It  is  not  yet  time." 

"You  stand  out  for  the  last  minute  ?" 

"A  promise  is  a  promise." 

"Very  good.  Be  it  so.  We  have  a  little  justice  to  do 
among  ourselves,  for  one  of  my  fellows  has  been  misbe- 


HOW  HE   SAVED  THE  ARMY  137 

having.  We  have  a  strict  rule  of  our  own  which  is  no 
respecter  of  persons,  as  de  Pombal  here  could  tell  you. 
Do  ycu  truss  him  and  lay  him  on  the  faggots,  de  Pombal, 
and  I  will  return  to  see  him  die." 

De  Pombal  and  the  man  with  the  torch  entered,  while 
I  heard  the  steps  of  the  chief  passing  away.  De  Pombal 
closed  the  door. 

"Colonel  Gerard,"  said  he,  "you  must  trust  this  man, 
for  he  is  one  of  my  party.  It  is  neck  or  nothing.  We 
may  save  you  yet.  But  I  take  a  great  risk,  and  I  want  a 
definite  promise.  If  we  save  you,  will  you  guarantee  that 
we  have  a  friendly  reception  in  the  French  camp  and  that 
all  the  past  will  be  forgotten.'*" 

"I  do  guarantee  it." 

"And  I  trust  your  honour.  Now,  quick,  quick,  there 
is  not  an  instant  to  lose !  If  this  monster  returns  we  shall 
die  horribly,  all  three." 

I  stared  in  amazement  at  what  he  did.  Catching  up  a 
long  rope  he  wound  it  round  the  body  of  my  dead  com- 
rade, and  he  tied  a  cloth  round  his  mouth  so  as  to  almost 
cover  his  face. 

"Do  you  lie  there!"  he  cried,  and  he  laid  me  in  the 
place  of  the  dead  body.  "I  have  four  of  my  men  waiting, 
and  they  will  place  this  upon  the  beacon."     He  opened 


138   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

the  door  and  gave  an  order.  Several  of  the  brigands 
entered  and  bore  out  Duplessis.  For  myself  I  remained 
upon  the  floor,  with  my  mind  in  a  turmoil  of  hope  and 
wonder. 

Five  minutes  later  de  Pombal  and  his  men  were  back. 

"You  are  laid  upon  the  beacon,"  said  he ;  "I  defy  any- 
one in  the  world  to  say  it  is  not  you,  and  you  are  so 
gagged  and  bound  that  no  one  can  expect  you  to  speak 
or  move.  Now,  it  only  remains  to  carry  forth  the  body 
of  Duplessis  and  to  toss  it  over  the  Merodal  precipice." 

Two  of  them  seized  me  by  the  head  and  two  by  the 
heels,  and  carried  me,  stiff  and  inert,  from  the  hut.  As 
I  came  into  the  open  air  I  could  have  cried  out  in  my 
amazement.  The  moon  had  risen  above  the  beacon,  and 
there,  clear  outlined  against  its  silver  light,  was  the  figure 
of  the  man  stretched  upon  the  top.  The  brigands  were 
either  in  their  camp  or  standing  round  the  beacon,  for 
none  of  them  stopped  or  questioned  our  little  party.  De 
Pombal  led  them  in  the  direction  of  the  precipice.  At 
the  brow  we  were  out  of  sight,  and  there  I  was  allowed  to 
use  my  feet  once  more.  De  Pombal  pointed  to  a  narrow, 
winding  track. 

"This  is  the  way  down,"  said  he,  and  then,  suddenly, 
**Dios  miOt  what  is  that?" 


HOW   HE   SAVED  THE  ARMY  139 

A  terrible  cry  had  risen  out  of  the  woods  beneath  us. 
1  saw  that  de  Pombal  was  shivering  Hke  a  frightened 
horse. 

"It  is  that  devil,"  he  whispered.  "He  is  treating  an- 
other as  he  treated  me.  But  on,  on,  for  Heaven  help  us 
if  he  lays  his  hands  upon  us," 

One  by  one  we  crawled  down  the  narrow  goat  track. 
At  the  bottom  of  the  cliff  we  were  back  in  the  woods  once 
more.  Suddenly  a  yellow  glare  shone  above  us,  and  the 
black  shadows  of  the  tree-trunks  started  out  in  front. 
They  had  fired  the  beacon  behind  us.  Even  from  where 
we  stood  we  could  see  that  impassive  body  amid  the 
flames,  and  the  black  figures  of  the  guerillas  as  they 
danced,  howling  like  cannibals,  round  the  pile.  Ha !  how 
I  shook  my  fist  at  them,  the  dogs,  and  how  I  vowed  that 
one  day  my  Hussars  a,nd  I  would  make  the  reckoning 
level ! 

De  Pombal  knew  how  the  outposts  were  placed  and  all 
the  paths  which  led  through  the  forest.  But  to  avoid 
these  villains  we  had  to  plunge  among  the  hills  and  walk 
for  many  a  weary  mile.  And  yet  how  gladly  would  I 
have  walked  those  extra  leagues  if  only  for  one  sight 
which  they  brought  to  my  eyes !  It  may  have  been  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning  when  we  halted  upon  the  bare 


140   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

shoulder  of  a  hill  over  which  our  path  curled.  Looking 
back  we  saw  the  red  glow  of  the  embers  of  the  beacon  as 
if  volcanic  fires  were  bursting  from  the  tall  peak  of  Mero- 
dal.  And  then,  as  I  gazed,  I  saw  something  else — some- 
thing which  caused  me  to  shriek  with  joy  and  to  fall 
upon  the  ground,  rolling  in  my  delight.  For,  far  away 
upon  the  southern  horizon,  there  winked  and  twinkled  one 
great  yellow  light,  throbbing  and  flaming,  the  light  of 
no  house,  the  light  of  no  star,  but  the  answering  beacon 
of  Mount  d'Ossa,  which  told  that  the  army  of  Clausel 
knew  what  Etienne  Gerard  had  been  sent  to  tell  them. 


V 

How  the  Brigadier  Triumphed  in  England 

I  have  told  you,  my  friends,  how  I  triumphed  over  the 
English  at  the  fox-hunt  when  I  pursued  the  animal  so 
fiercely  that  even  the  herd  of  trained  dogs  was  unable 
to  keep  up,  and  alone  with  my  own  hand  I  put  him  to  the 
sword.  Perhaps  I  have  said  too  much  of  the  matter,  but 
there  is  a  thrill  in  the  triumphs  of  sport  which  even  war- 
fare cannot  give,  for  in  warfare  you  share  your  successes 
with  your  regiment  and  your  army,  but  in  sport  it  is  you 
yourself  unaided  who  have  won  the  laurels.  It  is  an  ad- 
vantage which  the  English  have  over  us  that  in  all  classes 
they  take  great  interest  in  every  form  of  sport.  It  may 
be  that  they  are  richer  than  we,  or  it  may  be  that  they  are 
more  idle :  but  I  was  surprised  when  I  was  a  prisoner  in 
that  country  to  observe  how  widespread  was  this  feeling, 
and  how  much  it  filled  the  minds  and  the  lives  of  the  peo- 
ple. A  horse  that  will  run,  a  cock  that  will  fight,  a  dog 
that  will  kill  rats,  a  man  that  will  box — ^they  would  turn 
away  from  the  Emperor  in  all  his  glory  in  order  to  look 

upon  any  of  these. 

141 


142       THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

I  could  tell  you  many  stories  of  English  sport,  for  I 
saw  much  of  it  during  the  time  that  I  was  the  guest  of 
Lord  Ruf ton,  after  the  order  for  my  exchange  had  come 
to  England.  There  were  months  before  I  could  be  sent 
back  to  France,  and  during  this  time  I  stayed  with  this 
good  Lord  Ruf  ton  at  his  beautiful  house  of  High  Combe, 
which  is  at  the  northern  end  of  Dartmoor.  He  had  rid- 
den with  the  police  when  they  had  pursued  me  from 
Princetown,  and  he  had  felt  toward  me  when  I  was  over- 
taken as  I  would  myself  have  felt  had  I,  in  my  own  coun- 
try, seen  a  brave  and  debonair  soldier  without  a  friend 
to  help  him.  In  a  word,  he  took  me  to  his  house,  clad  me, 
fed  me,  and  treated  me  as  if  he  had  been  my  brother.  I 
will  say  this  of  the  English,  that  they  were  always  gen- 
erous enemies,  and  very  good  people  with  whom  to  fight. 
In  the  Peninsula  the  Spanish  outposts  would  present  their 
muskets  at  ours,  but  the  British  their  brandy-flasks.  And 
of  all  these  generous  men  there  was  none  who  was  the 
equal  of  this  admirable  milord,  who  held  out  so  warm  a 
hand  to  an  enemy  in  distress. 

Ah !  what  thoughts  of  sport  it  brings  back  to  me,  the 
very  name  of  High  Combe !  I  can  see  it  now,  the  long, 
low  brick  house,  warm  and  ruddy,  with  white  plaster  pil- 
lars before  the  door.     He  was  a  great  sportsman,  this 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND     14S 

Lord  Rufton,  and  all  who  were  about  him  were  of  the 
same  sort.  But  you  will  be  pleased  to  hear  that  there 
were  few  things  in  which  I  could  not  hold  my  own,  and  in 
some  I  excelled.  Behind  the  house  was  a  wood  in  which 
pheasants  were  reared,  and  it  was  Lord  Ruf ton's  joy  to 
kill  these  birds,  which  was  done  by  sending  in  men  to 
drive  them  out  while  he  and  his  friends  stood  outside  and 
shot  them  as  they  passed.  For  my  part,  I  was  more 
crafty,  for  I  studied  the  habits  of  the  bird,  and  stealing 
out  in  the  evening  I  was  able  to  kill  a  number  of  them 
as  they  roosted  in  the  trees.  Hardly  a  single  shot  was 
wasted,  but  the  keeper  was  attracted  by  the  sound  of  the 
firing,  and  he  implored  me  in  his  rough  English  fashion 
to  spare  those  that  were  left.  That  night  I  was  able  to 
place  twelve  birds  as  a  surprise  upon  Lord  Rufton's  sup- 
per-table, and  he  laughed  until  he  cried,  so  overjoyed 
was  he  to  see  them.  "Gad,  Gerard,  you'll  be  the  death  of 
me  yet !"  he  cried.  Often  he  said  the  same  thing,  for  at 
every  turn  I  amazed  him  by  the  way  in  which  I  entered 
into  the  sports  of  the  English. 

There  is  a  game  called  cricket  which  they  play  in  the 
summer,  and  this  also  I  learned.  Rudd,  the  head  gar- 
dener, was  a  famous  player  of  cricket,  and  so  was  Lord 
Rufton  himself.  Before  the  house  was  a  lawn,  and  here  it 


144   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

was  that  Rudd  taught  me  the  game.  It  is  a  brave  pas- 
time, a  game  for  soldiers,  for  each  tries  to  strike  the  other  , 
with  the  ball,  and  it  is  but  a  small  stick  with  which  you 
may  ward  it  off.  Three  sticks  behind  show  the  spot  be- 
yond which  you  may  not  retreat.  I  can  tell  you  that  it 
is  no  game  for  children,  and  I  will  confess  that,  in  spite 
of  my  nine  campaigns,  I  felt  myself  turn  pale  when  first 
the  ball  flashed  past  me.  So  swift  was  it  that  I  had  not 
time  to  raise  my  stick  to  ward  it  off,  but  by  good  fortune 
it  missed  me  and  knocked  down  the  wooden  pins  which 
marked  the  boundary.  It  was  for  Rudd  then  to  defend 
himself  and  for  me  to  attack.  When  I  was  a  boy  in  Gas- 
cony  I  learned  to  throw  both  far  and  straight,  so  that  I 
made  sure  that  I  could  hit  this  gallant  Englishman. 
With  a  shout  I  rushed  forward  and  hurled  the  ball  at 
him.  It  flew  as  swift  as  a  bullet  toward  his  ribs,  but  with- 
out a  word  he  swung  his  staff  and  the  ball  rose  a  surpris- 
ing distance  in  the  air.  Lord  Rufton  clapped  his  hands 
and  cheered.  Again  the  ball  was  brought  to  me,  and 
again  it  was  for  me  to  throw.  This  time  it  flew  past  his 
head,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  it  was  his  turn  to  look  pale. 
But  he  was  a  brave  man,  this  gardener,  and  again  he 
faced  me.  Ah,  my  friends,  the  hour  of  my  triumph  had 
come  1    It  was  a  red  waistcoat  that  he  wore,  and  at  this  I 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND      145 

hurled  the  ball.  You  would  have  said  that  I  was  a  gun- 
ner, not  a  hussar,  for  never  was  so  straight  an  aim.  With 
a  despairing  cry — ^the  cry  of  the  brave  man  who  is  beaten 
— ^he  fell  upon  the  wooden  pegs  behind  him,  and  they  all 
rolled  upon  the  ground  together.  He  was  cruel,  this 
English  milord,  and  he  laughed  so  that  he  could  not  come 
to  the  aid  of  his  servant.  It  was  for  me,  the  victor,  to 
rush  forward  to  embrace  this  intrepid  player,  and  to  raise 
him  to  his  feet  with  words  of  praise,  and  encouragement, 
and  hope.  He  was  in  pain  and  could  not  stand  erect,  yet 
the  honest  fellow  confessed  that  there  was  no  accident  in 
my  victory.  "He  did  it  a-purpose!  He  did  it  a-pur- 
pose!"  Again  and  again  he  said  it.  Yes,  it  is  a  great 
game  this  cricket,  and  I  would  gladly  have  ventured  upon 
it  again  but  Lord  Rufton  and  Rudd  said  that  it  was  late 
in  the  season,  and  so  they  would  play  no  more. 
)  How  foolish  of  me,  the  old,  broken  man,  to  dwell  upon 
these  successes,  and  yet  I  will  confess  that  my  age  has 
been  very  much  soothed  and  comforted  by  the  memory  of 
the  women  who  have  loved  me  and  the  m.en  whom  I  have 
overcome.  It  is  pleasant  to  think  that  five  years  after- 
ward, when  Lord  Rufton  came  to  Paris  after  the  peace, 
he  was  able  to  assure  me  that  my  name  was  still  a  famous 
p?ie  ip  the  portji  of  Devonshire  for  the  fine  exploits  \hsiX 


146   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

I  had  performed.  Especially,  he  said,  they  still  talked 
over  my  boxing  match  with  the  Honourable  Baldock.  It 
came  about  in  this  way.  Of  an  evening  many  sportsmen 
would  assemble  at  the  house  of  Lord  Rufton,  where  they 
would  drink  much  wine,  make  wild  bets,  and  talk  of  their 
horses  and  their  foxes.  How  well  I  remember  those 
strange  creatures.  Sir  Barrington,  Jack  Lupton,  of 
Barnstable,  Colonel  Addison,  Johnny  Miller,  Lord  Sad- 
ler, and  my  enemy,  the  Honourable  Baldock.  They  were 
of  the  same  stamp  all  of  them,  drinkers,  madcaps,  fight- 
ers, gamblers,  full  of  strange  caprices  and  extraordinary 
whims.  Yet  they  were  kindly  fellows  in  their  rough  fash- 
ion, save  only  this  Baldock,  a  fat  man,  who  prided  him- 
self on  his  skill  at  the  box-fight.  It  was  he  who,  by  his 
laughter  against  the  French  because  they  were  ignorant 
of  sport,  caused  me  to  challenge  him  in  the  very  sport 
at  which  he  excelled.  You  will  say  that  it  was  foolish, 
my  friends,  but  the  decanter  had  passed  many  times,  and 
the  blood  of  youth  ran  hot  in  my  veins.  I  would  fight 
him,  this  boaster;  I  would  show  him  that  if  we  had  not 
skill  at  least  we  had  courage.  Lord  Rufton  would  not 
allow  it.  I  insisted.  The  others  cheered  me  on  and 
slapped  me  on  the  back.  "No,  dash  it,  Baldock,  he's  our 
guest,"  said  Rufton.    "It's  his  own  doing,"  the  other  au- 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND      147 

swered.  "Look  here,  Rufton,  they  can't  hurt  each  other 
if  they  wear  the  mawleys,"  cried  Lord  Sadler.  And  so  it 
was  agreed. 

What  the  mawleys  were  I  did  not  know,  but  presently 
they  brought  out  four  great  puddings  of  leather,  not 
unlike  a  fencing  glove,  but  larger.  With  these  our  hands 
were  covered  after  we  had  stripped  ourselves  of  our  coats 
and  our  waistcoats.  Then  the  table,  with  the  glasses  and 
decanters,  was  pushed  into  the  corner  of  the  room,  and  be- 
hold us,  face  to  face !  Lord  Sadler  sat  in  the  arm-chair 
with  a  watch  in  his  open  hand.    "Time !"  said  he. 

I  will  confess  to  you,  my  friends,  that  I  felt  at  that  mo- 
ment a  tremor  such  as  none  of  my  many  duels  have  ever 
given  me.  With  sword  or  pistol  I  am  at  home,  but  here 
I  only  understood  that  I  must  struggle  with  this  fat 
Englishman  and  do  what  I  could,  in  spite  of  these  great 
puddings  upon  my  hands,  to  overcome  him.  And  at  the 
very  outset  I  was  disarmed  of  the  best  weapon  that  was 
left  to  me.  "Mind,  Gerard,  no  kicking !"  said  Lord  Ruf- 
ton in  my  ear.  I  had  only  a  pair  of  thin  dancing  slip- 
pers, and  yet  the  man  was  fat,  and  a  few  well-directed 
kicks  might  have  left  me  the  victor.  But  there  is  an  eti- 
quette just  as  there  is  in  fencing,  and  I  refrained.  I 
looked  at  this  Englishman  and  I  wondered  how  I  should 


148   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

attack  him.  His  ears  were  large  and  prominent.  Could 
I  seize  them  I  might  drag  him  to  the  ground.  I  rushed 
in,  but  I  was  betrayed  by  this  flabby  glove,  and  twice  I 
lost  my  hold.  He  struck  me,  but  I  cared  little  for  his 
blows,  and  again  I  seized  him  by  the  ear.  He  fell,  and  I 
roiled  upon  him  and  thumped  his  head  upon  the  ground. 
How  they  cheered  and  laughed,  these  gallant  English- 
men, and  how  they  clapped  me  on  the  back ! 

"Even  money  on  the  Frenchman,"  cried  Lord  Sadler. 

"He  fights  foul,"  cried  my  enemy,  rubbing  his  crim- 
son ears.    "He  savaged  me  on  the  ground." 

"You  must  take  your  chance  of  that,"  said  Lord  Ruf- 
ton,  coldly. 

"Time!"  cried  Lord  Sadler,  and  once  again  we  ad- 
vanced to  the  assault. 

He  was  flushed,  and  his  small  eyes  were  as  vicious  as 
those  of  a  bull-dog.  There  was  hatred  on  his  face.  For 
my  part  I  carried  myself  lightly  and  gaily.  A  French 
gentleman  fights  but  he  does  not  hate.  I  drew  myself  up 
before  him,  and  I  bowed  as  I  have  done  in  the  duello. 
There  can  be  grace  and  courtesy  as  well  as  defiance  in  a 
bow ;  I  put  all  three  into  this  one,  with  a  touch  of  ridicule 
in  the  shrug  which  accompanied  it.  It  was  at  this  mo- 
l?ient  that  b?  struck  me.    The  room  spun  round  me.    X 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND  149 
fell  upon  my  back.  But  in  an  instant  I  was  on  my  feet 
again  and  had  rushed  to  a  close  combat.  His  ear,  his 
hair,  his  nose,  I  seized  them  each  in  turn.  Once  again 
the  mad  joy  of  the  battle  was  in  my  veins.  The  old  cry 
of  triumph  rose  to  my  lips.  ''Vive  VEmpereur!''  I  yelled 
as  I  drove  my  head  into  his  stomach.  He  threw  his  arm 
round  my  neck,  and  holding  me  with  one  hand  he  struck 
me  with  the  other.  I  buried  my  teeth  in  his  arm,  and  he 
shouted  with  pain.  "Call  him  off,  Rufton !"  he  screamed. 
"Call  him  off,  man !  He's  worrying  me !"  They  dragged 
me  away  from  him.  Can  I  ever  forget  it  ? — the  laughter, 
the  cheering,  the  congratulations !  Even  my  enemy  bore 
me  no  ill-will,  for  he  shook  me  by  the  hand.  For  my  part 
I  embraced  him  on  each  cheek.  Five  years  afterward  I 
learned  from  Lord  Rufton  that  my  noble  bearing  upon 
that  evening  was  still  fresh  in  the  memory  of  my  English 
friends. 

It  is  not,  however,  of  my  own  exploits  in  sport  that  I 
wish  to  speak  to  you  to-night,  but  it  is  of  the  Lady  Jane 
Dacre  and  the  strange  adventure  of  which  she  was  the 
cause.  Lady  Jane  Dacre  was  Lord  Rufton's  sister  and 
the  lady  of  his  household.  I  fear  that  until  I  came  it 
was  lonely  for  her,  since  she  was  a  beautiful  and  refined 
woman  with  nothing  in  common  with  those  who  were 


150   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

about  her.  Indeed,  this  might  be  said  of  many  women  in 
the  England  of  those  days,  for  the  men  were  rude  and  , 
rough  and  coarse,  with  boorish  habits  and  few  accom- 
plishments, while  the  women  were  the  most  lovely  and  ten- 
der that  I  have  ever  known.  We  became  great  friends, 
the  Lady  Jane  and  I,  for  it  was  not  possible  for  me  to 
drink  three  bottles  of  port  after  dinner  like  those  Devon- 
shire gentlemen,  and  so  I  would  seek  refuge  in  her  draw- 
ing-room, where  evening  af  her  evening  she  would  play 
the  harpsichord  and  I  would  sing  the  songs  of  my  own 
land.  In  those  peaceful  moments  I  would  find  a  refuge 
from  the  misery  which  filled  me,  when  I  reflected  that  my 
regiment  was  left  in  the  front  of  the  enemy  without  the 
chief  whom  they  had  learned  to  love  and  to  follow.  In- 
deed, I  could  have  torn  my  hair  when  I  read  in  the  Eng- 
lish papers  of  the  fine  fighting  which  was  going  on  in 
Portugal  and  on  the  frontiers  of  Spain,  all  of  which  I 
had  missed  through  my  misfortune  in  falling  into  the 
hands  of  Milord  Wellington. 

From  what  I  have  told  you  of  the  Lady  Jane  you  will 
have  guessed  what  occurred,  my  friends.  Etienne  Ge- 
rard is  thrown  into  the  company  of  a  young  and  beautiful 
woman.  What  must  it  mean  for  him.?  What  must  it 
mean  for  her.''    It  was  not  for  me,  the  guest,  the  captive, 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND      151 

to  make  love  to  the  sister  of  my  host.  But  I  was  reserved. 
I  was  discreet.  I  tried  to  curb  my  own  emotions  and  to 
discourage  hers.  For  my  own  part  I  fear  that  I  betrayed 
myself,  for  the  eye  becomes  more  eloquent  when  the 
tongue  is  silent.  Every  quiver  of  my  fingers  as  I  turned 
over  her  music-sheets  told  her  my  secret.  But  she — she 
was  admirable.  It  is  in  these  matters  that  women  have  a 
genius  for  deception.  If  I  had  not  penetrated  her  secret 
I  should  often  have  thought  that  she  forgot  even  that  I 
was  in  the  house.  For  hours  she  would  sit  lost  in  a  sweet 
melancholy,  while  I  admired  her  pale  face  and  her  curls 
in  the  lamp-light,  and  thrilled  within  me  to  think  that  I 
had  moved  her  so  deeply.  Then  at  last  I  would  speak, 
and  she  would  start  in  her  chair  and  stare  at  me  with  the 
most  admirable  pretence  of  being  surprised  to  find  me  in 
the  room.  Ah !  how  I  longed  to  hurl  myself  suddenly  at 
her  feet,  to  kiss  her  white  hand,  to  assure  her  that  I  had 
surprised  her  secret  and  that  I  would  not  abuse  her  confi- 
dence. But  no,  I  was  not  her  equal,  and  I  was  under  her 
roof  as  a  castaway  enemy.  My  lips  were  sealed.  I  en- 
deavoured to  imitate  her  own  wonderful  affectation  of  in- 
difference, but,  as  you  may  think,  I  was  eagerly  alert  for 
any  opportunity  of  serving  her. 

One  morning  Lady  Jane  had  driven  in  her  phaeton  to 


152       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

Okehampton,  and  I  strolled  along  the  road  which  led  to 
that  place  in  the  hope  that  I  might  meet  her  on  her  re- 
turn. It  was  the  early  winter,  and  banks  of  fading  fern 
sloped  down  to  the  winding  road.  It  is  a  bleak  place  this 
Dartmoor,  wild  and  rocky — a  country  of  wind  and  mist. 
I  felt  as  I  walked  that  it  is  no  wonder  Englishmen  should 
suffer  from  the  spleen.  My  own  heart  was  heavy  within 
me,  and  I  sat  upon  a  rock  by  the  wayside  looking  out  on 
the  dreary  view  with  my  thoughts  full  of  trouble  and 
foreboding.  Suddenly,  however,  as  I  glanced  down  the 
road,  I  saw  a  sight  which  drove  everything  else  from  my 
mind,  and  caused  me  to  leap  to  my  feet  with  a  cry  of  as- 
tonishment and  anger. 

Down  the  curve  of  the  road  a  phaeton  was  coming,  the 
pony  tearing  along  at  full  gallop.  Within  was  the  very 
lady  whom  I  had  come  to  meet.  She  lashed  at  the  pony 
like  one  who  endeavours  to  escape  from  some  pressing 
danger,  glancing  ever  backward  over  her  shoulder.  The 
bend  of  the  road  concealed  from  me  what  it  was  that  had 
alarmed  her,  and  I  ran  forward  not  knowing  what  to  ex- 
pect. The  next  instant  I  saw  the  pursuer,  and  my  amaze- 
ment was  increased  at  the  sight.  It  was  a  gentleman  in 
the  red  coat  of  an  English  fox-hunter,  mounted  on  a  great 
grey  horse.     He  was  galloping  as  if  in  a  race,  and  the 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND     153 

long  stride  of  the  splendid  creature  beneath  him  soon 
brought  him  up  to  the  lady's  flying  carriage.  I  saw  him 
stoop  and  seize  the  reins  of  the  pony,  so  as  to  bring  it  to 
a  halt.  The  next  instant  he  was  deep  in  talk  with  the 
lady,  he  bending  forward  in  his  saddle  and  speaking  ea- 
gerly, she  shrinking  away  from  him  as  if  she  feared  and 
loathed  him. 

You  may  think,  my  dear  friends,  that  this  was  not  a 
sight  at  which  I  could  calmly  gaze.  How  my  heart 
thrilled  within  me  to  think  that  a  chance  should  have 
been  given  to  me  to  serve  the  Lady  Jane!  I  ran — oh, 
good  Lord,  how  I  ran !  At  last,  breathless,  speechless,  I 
reached  the  phaeton.  The  man  glanced  up  at  me  with 
his  blue  English  eyes,  but  so  deep  was  he  in  his  talk  that 
he  paid  no  heed  to  me,  nor  did  the  lady  say  a  word.  She 
still  leaned  back,  her  beautiful  pale  face  gazing  up  at 
him.  He  was  a  good-looking  fellow — tall,  and  strong, 
and  brown;  a  pang  of  jealousy  seized  me  as  I  looked  at 
him.  He  was  talking  low  and  fast,  as  the  English  do 
when  they  are  in  earnest. 

"I  teU  you.  Jinny,  it's  you  and  only  you  that  I  love," 
said  he.  "Don't  bear  malice.  Jinny.  Let  by-gones  be 
by-gones.     Come  now,  say  it's  all  over." 

**No,  never,  Gtorge,  never !"  she  cried. 


154   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

A  dusky  red  suffused  his  handsome  face.  The  man 
was  furious. 

"Why  can't  you  forgive  me,  Jinny.?" 

"I  can't  forget  the  past." 

"By  George,  you  must !  I've  asked  enough.  It's  time 
to  order  now.  I'll  have  my  rights,  d'ye  hear .?"  His  hand 
closed  upon  her  wrist. 

At  last  my  breath  had  returned  to  me. 

"Madame,"  I  said,  as  I  raised  my  hat,  "do  I  intrude, 
or  is  there  any  possible  way  in  which  I  can  be  of  service  to 

you?" 

But  neither  of  them  minded  me  any  more  than  if  I  had 
been  a  fly  who  buzzed  between  them.  Their  eyes  were 
locked  together. 

"I'll  have  my  rights,  I  tell  you.  I've  waited  long 
enough." 

"There's  no  use  bullying,  George." 

"Do  you  give  in  ?" 

"No,  never !" 

"Is  that  your  final  answer  .f*" 

"Yes,  it  is." 

He  gave  a  bitter  curse  and  threw  down  her  hand. 

"All  right,  my  lady,  we'll  see  about  this." 

"Excuse  me,  sir !"  said  I,  with  dignity. 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND     155 

**0h,  go  to  blazes !"  he  cried,  turning  on  me  with  his 
furious  face.  The  next  instant  he  had  spurred  his  horse 
and  was  galloping  down  the  road  once  more. 

Lady  Jane  gazed  after  him  until  he  was  out  of  sight, 
and  I  was  surprised  to  see  that  her  face  wore  a  smile  and 
not  a  frown.  Then  she  turned  to  me  and  held  out  her 
hand. 

"You  are  very  kind,  Colonel  Gerard.  You  meant  well, 
I  am  sure." 

"Madame,"  said  I,  "if  you  can  oblige  me  with  the  gen- 
tleman's name  and  address  I  will  arrange  that  he  shall 
never  trouble  you  again." 

"No  scandal,  I  beg  of  you,"  she  cried. 

"Madame,  I  could  not  so  far  forget  myself.  Rest  as- 
sured that  no  lady's  name  would  ever  be  mentioned  by  me 
in  the  course  of  such  an  incident.  In  bidding  me  to  go  to 
blazes  this  gentleman  has  relieved  me  from  the  embarrass- 
ment of  having  to  invent  a  cause  of  quarrel." 

"Colonel  Gerard,"  said  the  lady,  earnestly,  "you  must 
give  me  your  word  as  a  soldier  and  a  gentleman  that 
this  matter  goes  no  farther,  and  also  that  you  will  say 
nothing  to  my  brother  about  what  you  have  seen.    Prom- 


ise me  i 


f" 


"If  I  must." 


156       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

"I  hold  you  to  your  word.  Now  drive  with  me  to  High 
Combe,  and  I  will  explain  as  we  go." 

The  first  words  of  her  explanation  went  into  me  like  a 
sabre-point. 

"That  gentleman,"  said  she,  "is  my  husband." 

"Your  husband !" 

"You  must  have  known  that  I  was  married."  She 
seemed  surprised  at  my  agitation. 

"I  did  not  know." 

"This  is  Lord  George  Dacre.  We  have  been  married 
two  years.  There  is  no  need  to  tell  you  how  he  wronged 
me.  I  left  him  and  sought  a  refuge  under  my  brother's 
roof.  Up  till  to-day  he  has  left  me  there  unmolested. 
What  I  must  above  all  things  avoid  is  the  chance  of  a 
duel  betwixt  my  husband  and  my  brother.  It  is  horrible 
to  think  of.  For  this  reason  Lord  Rufton  must  know 
nothing  of  this  chance  meeting  of  to-day." 

"If  my  pistol  could  free  you  from  this  annoyance 


"No,  no,  it  is  not  to  be  thought  of.  Remember  your 
promise,  Colonel  Gerard.  And  not  a  word  at  High 
Combe  of  what  you  have  seen !" 

Her  husband!  I  had  pictured  in  my  mind  that  she 
was  a  young  widow.     This  brown-faced  brute  with  his 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND      157 

**go  to  blazes"  was  the  husband  of  this  tender  dove  of  a 
woman.  Oh,  if  she  would  but  allow  me  to  free  her  from 
so  odious  an  encumbrance !  There  is  no  divorce  so  quick 
and  certain  as  that  which  I  could  give  her.  But  a  prom- 
ise is  a  promise,  and  I  kept  it  to  the  letter.  My  mouth 
was  sealed. 

In  a  week  I  was  to  be  sent  back  from  Plymouth  to  St. 
Malo,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  might  never  hear  the 
sequel  of  the  story.  And  yet  it  was  destined  that  it  should 
have  a  sequel  and  that  I  should  play  a  very  pleasing  and 
honourable  part  in  it. 

It  was  only  three  days  after  the  event  which  I  have  de- 
scribed when  Lord  Rufton  burst  hurriedly  into  my  room. 
His  face  was  pale  and  his  manner  that  of  a  man  in  ex- 
treme agitation. 

"Gerard,"  he  cried,  "have  you  seen  Lady  Jane 
Dacre?" 

I  had  seen  her  after  breakfast  and  it  was  now  mid-day. 

"By  Heaven,  there's  villainy  here!"  cried  my  poor 
friend,  rushing  about  like  a  madman.  "The  bailiff  has 
been  up  to  say  that  a  chaise  and  pair  were  seen  driving 
full  split  down  the  Tavistock  Road.  The  blacksmith 
heard  a  woman  scream  as  it  passed  his  forge.    Jane  has 


158   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

disappeared.  By  the  Lord,  I  believe  that  she  has  been 
kidnapped  by  this  villain  Dacre."  He  rang  the  bell  fu- 
riously. "Two  horses,  this  instant !"  he  cried.  "Colonel 
Gerard,  your  pistols!  Jane  comes  back  with  me  this 
night  from  Gravel  Hanger  or  there  will  be  a  new  master 
in  High  Combe  Hall." 

Behold  us  then  within  half  an  hour,  like  two  knight- 
errants  of  old,  riding  forth  to  the  rescue  of  this  lady  in 
distress.  It  was  near  Tavistock  that  Lord  Dacre  lived, 
and  at  every  house  and  toll-gate  along  the  road  we  heard 
the  news  of  the  flying  post-chaise  in  front  of  us,  so  there 
could  be  no  doubt  whither  they  were  bound.  As  we  rode 
Lord  Ruf  ton  told  me  of  the  man  whom  we  were  pursuing. 
His  name,  it  seems,  was  a  household  word  throughout  all 
England  for  every  sort  of  mischief.  Wine,  women,  dice, 
cards,  racing — in  all  forms  of  debauchery  he  had  earned 
for  himself  a  terrible  name.  He  was  of  an  old  and  noble 
family,  and  it  had  been  hoped  that  he  had  sowed  his  wild 
oats  when  he  married  the  beautiful  Lady  Jane  Rufton. 
For  some  months  he  had  indeed  behaved  well,  and  then  he 
had  wounded  her  feelings  in  their  most  tender  part  by 
some  unworthy  liaison.  She  had  fled  from  his  house  and 
taken  refuge  with  her  brother,  from  whose  care  she  had 
now  been  dragged  once  more,  against  her  will.    I  ask  you 


HOW  HE  TRroMPHED  IN  ENGLAND      159 

if  two  men  could  have  had  a  fairer  errand  than  that  upon 
which  Lord  Rufton  and  myself  were  riding. 

"That's  Gravel  Hanger,"  he  cried  at  last,  pointing 
with  his  crop,  and  there  on  the  green  side  of  a  hill  was  an 
old  brick  and  timber  building  as  beautiful  as  only  an 
English  country-house  can  be.  "There's  an  inn 
by  the  park-gate,  and  there  we  shall  leave  our  horses," 
he  added. 

For  my  own  part  it  seemed  to  me  that  with  so  just  a 
cause  we  should  have  done  best  to  ride  boldly  up  to  his 
door  and  summon  him  to  surrender  the  lady.  But  there 
I  was  wrong.  For  the  one  thing  which  every  Englishman 
fears  is  the  law.  He  makes  it  himself,  and  when  he  has 
once  made  it  it  becomes  a  terrible  tyrant  before  whom  the 
bravest  quails.  He  will  smile  at  breaking  his  neck,  but 
he  will  turn  pale  at  breaking  the  law.  It  seems,  then, 
from  what  Lord  Rufton  told  me  as  we  walked  through 
the  park,  that  we  were  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  law  in 
this  matter.  Lord  Dacre  was  in  the  right  in  carrying  off 
his  wife,  since  she  did  indeed  belong  to  him,  and  our  own 
position  now  was  nothing  better  than  that  of  burglars 
and  trespassers.  It  was  not  for  burglars  to  openly  ap- 
proach the  front  door.  We  could  take  the  lady  by  force 
Of  by  craft,  but  we  could  not  take  her  by  right,  for  the 


160      ¥Hfi  ADVENTURES  OP  eEHAft© 

law  was  against  us.  This  was  what  my  friend  explained 
to  me  as  we  crept  up  toward  the  shelter  of  a  shrubbery 
which  was  close  to  the  windows  of  the  house.  Thence  we 
could  examine  this  fortress,  see  whether  we  could  effect  a 
lodgment  in  it,  and,  above  all,  try  to  establish  some  com- 
munication with  the  beautiful  prisoner  inside. 

There  we  were,  then,  in  the  shrubbery.  Lord  Rufton 
and  I,  each  with  a  pistol  in  the  pockets  of  our  riding 
coats,  and  with  the  most  resolute  determination  in  our 
hearts  that  we  should  not  return  without  the  lady.  Ea- 
gerly we  scanned  every  window  of  the  wide-spread  house. 
Not  a  sign  could  we  see  of  the  prisoner  or  of  anyone  else ; 
but  on  the  gravel  drive  outside  the  door  were  the  deep- 
sunk  marks  of  the  wheels  of  the  chaise.  There  was  no 
doubt  that  they  had  arrived.  Crouching  among  the  lau- 
rel bushes  we  held  a  whispered  council  of  war,  but  a  sin- 
gular interruption  brought  it  to  an  end. 

Out  of  the  door  of  the  house  there  stepped  a  tall,  flax- 
en-haired man,  such  a  figure  as  one  would  choose  for  the 
flank  of  a  Grenadier  company.  As  he  turned  his  brown 
face  and  his  blue  eyes  toward  us  I  recognised  Lord  Dacre. 
With  long  strides  he  came  down  the  gravel  path  straight 
for  the  spot  where  we  lay. 

"Come  out,  Ned !"  he  shouted ;  "you'll  have  the  game- 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND      161 

keeper  putting  a  charge  of  shot  into  you.  Come  out, 
man,  and  don't  skulk  behind  the  bushes." 

It  was  not  a  very  heroic  situation  for  us.  My  poor 
friend  rose  with  a  crimson  face.  I  sprang  to  my  feet  also 
and  bowed  with  such  dignity  as  I  could  muster. 

"Halloa!  it's  the  Frenchman,  is  it.?"  said  he,  without 
returning  my  bow.  "I've  got  a  crow  to  pluck  with  him 
already.  As  to  you,  Ned,  I  knew  you  would  be  hot  on 
our  scent,  and  so  I  was  looking  out  for  you.  I  saw  you 
cross  the  park  and  go  to  ground  in  the  shrubbery.  Come 
in,  man,  and  let  us  have  all  the  cards  on  the  table." 

He  seemed  master  of  the  situation,  this  handsome  giant 
of  a  man,  standing  at  his  ease  on  his  own  ground  while 
we  slunk  out  of  our  hiding-place.  Lord  Rufton  had  said 
not  a  word,  but  I  saw  by  his  darkened  brow  and  his  som- 
bre eyes  that  the  storm  was  gathering.  Lord  Dacre  led 
the  way  into  the  house,  and  we  followed  close  at  his  heels. 
He  ushered  us  himself  into  an  oak-panelled  sitting-room, 
closing  the  door  behind  us.  Then  he  looked  me  up  and 
down  with  insolent  eyes. 

"Look  here,  Ned,"  said  he,  "time  was  when  an  English 
family  could  settle  their  own  affairs  in  their  own  way. 
What  has  this  foreign  fellow  got  to  do  with  your  sister 
and  my  wife,'"' 


162   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

"Sir,"  said  I,  "permit  me  to  point  out  to  you  that  this 
is  not  a  case  merely  of  a  sister  or  a  wife,  but  that  I  am 
the  friend  of  the  lady  in  question,  and  that  I  have  the 
privilege  which  every  gentleman  possesses  of  protecting 
a  woman  against  brutality.  It  is  only  by  a  gesture  that 
I  can  show  you  what  I  think  of  you."  I  had  my  riding 
glove  in  my  hand,  and  I  flicked  him  across  the  face  with 
it.  He  drew  back  with  a  bitter  smile  and  his  eyes  were  as 
hard  as  flint. 

"So  you've  brought  your  bully  with  you,  Ned?"  said 
he.  "You  might  at  least  have  done  your  fighting  your- 
self, if  it  must  come  to  a  fight." 

"So  I  will,"  cried  Lord  Rufton.    "Here  and  now." 

"When  I've  killed  this  swaggering  Frenchman,"  said 
Lord  Dacre.  He  stepped  to  a  side  table  and  opened  a 
brass-bound  case.  "By  Gad,"  said  he,  "either  that  man 
or  I  go  out  of  this  room  feet  foremost.  I  meant  well 
by  you,  Ned;  I  did,  by  George,  but  I'll  shoot  this  led- 
captain  of  yours  as  sure  as  my  name's  George  Dacre. 
Take  your  choice  of  pistols,  sir,  and  shoot  across  this 
table.  The  barkers  are  loaded.  Aim  straight  and  kill  me 
if  you  can,  for  by  the  Lord  if  you  don't,  you're  done." 

In  vain  Lord  Rufton  tried  to  take  the  quarrel  upon 
himself.     Two  things  were  clear  in  my  mind — one  that 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND      163 

the  Lady  Jane  had  feared  above  all  things  that  her  hus- 
band and  brother  should  fight,  the  other  that  if  I  could 
but  kill  this  big  milord,  then  the  whole  question  would  be 
settled  forever  in  the  best  way.  Lord  Rufton  did  not 
want  him.  Lady  Jane  did  not  want  him.  Therefore,  I, 
Etienne  Gerard,  their  friend,  would  pay  the  debt  of  grat- 
itude which  I  owed  them  by  freeing  them  of  this  encum- 
brance. But,  indeed,  there  was  no  choice  in  the  matter, 
for  Lord  Dacre  was  as  eager  to  put  a  bullet  into  me  as 
I  could  be  to  do  the  same  service  to  him.  In  vain  Lord 
Rufton  argued  and  scolded.    The  affair  must  continue. 

"Well,  if  you  must  fight  my  guest  instead  of  myself, 
let  it  be  to-morrow  morning  with  two  witnesses,"  he  cried, 
at  last ;  "this  is  sheer  murder  across  the  table." 

"But  it  suits  my  humour,  Ned,"  said  Lord  Dacre. 

"And  mine,  sir,"  said  I. 

"Then  I'll  have  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  cried  Lord 
Rufton.  "I  tell  you,  George,  if  you  shoot  Colonel  Ge- 
rard under  these  circumstances  you'll  find  yourself  in  the 
dock  instead  of  on  the  bench.  I  won't  act  as  second,  and 
that's  flat." 

"Sir,"  said  I,  "I  am  perfectly  prepared  to  proceed 
without  a  second." 

"That  won't  do.     It's  against  the  law,"  cried  Lord 


164       THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 
Dacre.    "Come,  Ned,  don't  be  a  fool.    You  see  we  mean 
to  fight.    Hang  it,  man,  all  I  want  you  to  do  is  to  drop  a 
handkerchief." 

"I'll  take  no  part  in  it." 

"Then  I  must  find  someone  who  will,"  said  Lord  Dacre. 
He  threw  a  cloth  over  the  pistols  which  lay  upon  the 
table,  and  he  rang  the  bell.  A  footman  entered.  "Ask 
Colonel  Berkeley  if  he  will  step  this  way.  You  will  find 
him  in  the  billiard-room." 

A  moment  later  there  entered  a  tall  thin  Englishman 
with  a  great  moustache,  which  was  a  rare  thing  amid  that 
clean-shaven  race.  I  have  heard  since  that  they  were 
worn  only  by  the  Guards  and  the  Hussars.  This  Colonel 
Berkeley  was  a  guardsman.  He  seemed  a  strange,  tired, 
languid,  drawling  creature  with  a  long  black  cigar 
thrusting  out,  like  a  pole  from  a  bush,  amidst  that  im- 
mense moustache.  He  looked  from  one  to  the  other  of  us 
with  true  English  phlegm,  and  he  betrayed  not  the  slight- 
est surprise  when  he  was  told  our  intention. 

"Quite  so,"  said  he ;  "quite  so." 

"I  refuse  to  act.  Colonel  Berkeley,"  cried  Lord  Ruf- 
ton.  "Remember,  this  duel  cannot  proceed  without  you, 
and  I  hold  you  personally  responsible  for  anything  that 
happens." 


HOW  ME  TflllTMPlffiO  IN  ENGLAND    m 

This  Colonel  Berkeley  appeared  to  be  an  authority 
upon  the  question,  for  he  removed  the  cigar  from  his 
mouth  and  he  laid  down  the  law  in  his  strange,  drawling 
voice. 

"The  circumstances  are  unusual  but  not  irregular, 
Lord  Rufton,"  said  he.  "This  gentleman  has  given  a 
blow  and  this  other  gentleman  has  received  it.  That  is  a 
clear  issue.  Time  and  conditions  depend  upon  the  per- 
son who  demands  satisfaction.  Very  good.  He  claims  it 
here  and  now,  across  the  table.  He  is  acting  within  his 
rights.    I  am  prepared  to  accept  the  responsibility." 

There  was  nothing  more  to  be  said.  Lord  Rufton  sat 
moodily  in  the  corner  with  his  brows  drawn  down  and  his 
hands  thrust  deep  into  the  pockets  of  his  riding-breeches. 
Colonel  Berkeley  examined  the  two  pistols  and  laid  them 
both  in  the  centre  of  the  table.  Lord  Dacre  was  at  one 
end  and  I  at  the  other,  with  eight  feet  of  shining  mahog- 
any between  us.  .On  the  hearth-rug  with  his  back  to  the 
fire,  stood  the  tall  colonel,  his  handkerchief  in  his  left 
hand,  his  cigar  between  two  fingers  of  his  right. 

"When  I  drop  the  handkerchief,"  said  he,  "you  will 
pick  up  your  pistols  and  you  will  fire  at  your  own  conve* 
nience.    Are  you  ready  .^" 

"Yes,"  we  cried. 


166   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

His  hand  opened  and  the  handkerchief  fell.  I  bent 
swiftly  forward  and  seized  a  pistol,  but  the  table,  as  I 
have  said,  was  eight  feet  across,  and  it  was  easier  for  this 
long-armed  milord  to  reach  the  pistols  than  it  was  for  me. 
I  had  not  yet  drawn  myself  straight  before  he  fired,  and 
to  this  it  was  that  I  owe  my  life.  His  bullet  would  have 
blown  out  my  brains  had  I  been  erect.  As  it  was  it  whis- 
tled through  my  curls.  At  the  same  instant,  just  as  I 
threw  up  my  own  pistol  to  fire,  the  door  flew  open  and  a 
pair  of  arms  were  thrown  round  me.  It  was  the  beauti- 
ful, flushed,  frantic  face  of  Lady  Jane  which  looked  up 
into  mine. 

"You  sha'n't  fire !  Colonel  Gerard,  for  my  sake  don't 
fire,"  she  cried.  "It  is  a  mistake,  I  tell  you,  a  mistake,  a 
mistake !  He  is  the  best  and  dearest  of  husbands.  Never 
again  shall  I  leave  his  side."  Her  hands  slid,  down  my 
arm  and  closed  upon  my  pistol. 

"Jane,  Jane,"  cried  Lord  Rufton;  "come  with  me. 
You  should  not  be  here.    Come  away." 

"It  is  all  confoundedly  irregular,"  said  Colonel  Berke- 
ley. 

"Colonel  Gerard,  you  won't  fire,  will  you.^  My  heart 
would  break  if  he  were  hurt." 

"Hang  it  all,  Jinny,  give  the  fellow  fair  play,"  cried 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND      167 

Lord  Dacre.  "He  stood  my  fire  like  a  man,  and  I  won't 
see  him  interfered  with.  Whatever  happens  I  can't  get 
worse  than  I  deserve." 

But  already  there  had  passed  between  me  and  the  lady 
a  quick  glance  of  the  eyes  which  told  her  everything. 
Her  hands  slipped  from  my  arm.  "I  leave  my  husband's 
life  and  my  own  happiness  to  Colonel  Gerard,"  said  she. 

How  well  she  knew  me,  this  admirable  woman !  I  stood 
for  an  instant  irresolute,  with  the  pistol  cocked  in  my 
hand.  My  antagonist  faced  me  bravely,  with  no  blench- 
ing of  his  sunburnt  face  and  no  flinching  of  his  bold, 
blue  eyes.  ^ 

"Come,  come,  sir,  take  your  shot!"  cried  the  colonel 
from  the  mat. 

"Let  us  have  it,  then,"  said  Lord  Dacre. 

I  would,  at  least,  show  them  how  completely  his  life  was 
at  the  mercy  of  my  skill.  So  much  I  owed  to  my  own 
self-respect.  I  glanced  round  for  a  mark.  The  colonel 
was  looking  toward  my  antagonist,  expecting  to  see  liim 
drop.  His  face  was  sideways  to  me,  his  long  cigar  pro- 
jecting from  his  lips  with  an  inch  of  ash  at  the  end  of  it. 
Quick  as  a  flash  I  raised  my  pistol  and  fired. 

"Permit  me  to  trim  your  ash,  sir,"  said  I,  and  I  bowed 
with  a  grace  which  is  unknown  among  these  islanders. 


168   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

I  am  convinced  that  the  fault  lay  with  the  pistol  and 
not  with  my  aim.  I  could  hardly  believe  my  own  eyes 
when  I  saw  that  I  had  snapped  off  the  cigar  within  half 
an  inch  of  his  lips.  He  stood  staring  at  me  with  the 
ragged  stub  of  the  cigar-end  sticking  out  from  his  singed 
mustache.  I  can  see  him  now  with  his  foolish,  angry 
eyes  and  his  long,  thin,  puzzled  face.  Then  he  began  to 
talk.  I  have  always  said  that  the  English  are  not  really 
a  phlegmatic  or  a  taciturn  nation  if  you  stir  them  out  of 
their  groove.  No  one  could  have  talked  in  a  more  ani- 
mated way  than  this  colonel.  Lady  Jane  put  her  hands 
over  her  ears. 

"Come,  come.  Colonel  Berkeley,"  said  Lord  Dacre, 
sternly,  "you  forget  yourself.  There  is  a  lady  in  the 
room." 

The  colonel  gave  a  stiff  bow. 

"If  Lady  Dacre  will  kindly  leave  the  room,"  said  he, 
"I  will  be  able  to  tell  this  infernal  little  Frenchman  what 
I  think  of  him  and  his  monkey  tricks." 

I  was  splendid  at  that  moment,  for  I  ignored  the  words 
that  he  had  said  and  remembered  only  the  extreme  provo- 
cation. 

"Sir,"  said  I,  "I  freely  offer  you  my  apologies  for  this 
unhappy  incident.    I  felt  that  if  I  did  not  discharge  my 


HOW  HE  TRIUMPHED  IN  ENGLAND  169 

pistol  Lord  Dacre's  honour  might  feel  hurt,  and  yet  it 
was  quite  impossible  for  me,  after  hearing  what  this  lady 
has  said,  to  aim  it  at  her  husband.  I  looked  round  for  a 
mark,  therefore,  and  I  had  the  extreme  misfortune  to 
blow  your  cigar  out  of  your  mouth  when  my  intention 
had  merely  been  to  snuff  the  ash.  I  was  betrayed  by  my 
pistol.  This  is  my  explanation,  sir,  and  if  after  listening 
to  my  apologies  you  still  feel  that  I  owe  you  satisfaction, 
I  need  not  say  that  it  is  a  request  which  I  am  unable  to 
refuse." 

It  was  certainly  a  charming  attitude  which  I  had  as- 
sumed, and  it  won  the  hearts  of  all  of  them.  Lord  Dacre 
stepped  forward  and  wrung  me  by  the  hand.  "By 
George,  sir,"  said  he,  "I  never  thought  to  feel  toward  a 
Frenchman  as  I  do  to  you.  You're  a  man  and  a  gentle- 
man, and  I  can't  say  more."  Lord  Rufton  said  nothing, 
but  his  hand-grip  told  me  all  that  he  thought.  Even 
Colonel  Berkeley  paid  me  a  compliment,  and  declared 
that  he  would  think  no  more  about  the  unfortunate  cigar. 
And  she — ah,  if  you  could  have  seen  the  look  she  gave 
me,  the  flushed  cheek,  the  moist  eye,  the  tremulous  lip ! 
When  I  think  of  my  beautiful  Lady  Jane  it  is  at  that 
moment  that  I  recall  her.  They  would  have  had  me  stay 
to  dinner,  but  you  will  understand,  my  friends,  that  this 


170   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

was  no  time  for  either  Lord  Rufton  or  myself  to  remain 
at  Gravel  Hanger.  This  reconciled  couple  desired  only 
to  be  alone.  In  the  chaise  he  had  persuaded  her  of  his 
sincere  repentance,  and  once  again  they  were  a  loving 
husband  and  wife.  If  they  were  to  remain  so  it  was  best 
perhaps  that  I  should  go.  Why  should  I  unsettle  this  do- 
mestic peace.?  Even  against  my  own  will  my  mere  pres- 
ence and  appearance  might  have  their  effect  upon  the 
lady.  No,  no,  I  must  tear  myself  away — even  her  per- 
suasions were  unable  to  make  me  stop.  Years  afterward 
I  heard  that  the  household  of  the  Dacres  was  among  the 
happiest  in  the  whole  country,  and  that  no  cloud  had 
ever  come  again  to  darken  their  lives.  Yet  I  dare  say  if 
he  could  have  seen  into  his  wife's  mind — ^but  there,  I  say 
no  more !  A  lady's  secret  is  her  own,  and  I  fear  that  she 
and  it  are  buried  long  years  ago  in  some  Devonshire 
churchyard.  Perhaps  all  that  gay  circle  are  gone  and 
the  Lady  Jane  only  lives  now  in  the  memory  of  an  old 
half-pay  French  brigadier.  He  at  least  can  never  for- 
get. 


VI 

How  the  Brigadier  Bode  to  Minsk 

I  would  have  a  stronger  wine  to-night,  my  friends,  a  wine 
of  Burgundy  rather  than  of  Bordeaux.  It  is  that  my 
heart,  my  old  soldier  heart,  is  heavy  within  me.  It  is  a 
strange  thing,  this  age  which  creeps  upon  one.  One  does 
not  know,  one  does  not  understand;  the  spirit  is  ever  the 
same,  and  one  does  not  remember  how  the  poor  body 
crumbles.  But  there  comes  a  moment  when  it  is  brought 
home,  when  quick  as  the  sparkle  of  a  whirling  sabre  it  is 
clear  to  us,  and  we  see  the  men  we  were  and  the  men  we 
are.  Yes,  yes,  it  was  so  to-day,  and  I  would  have  a  wine 
of  Burgundy  to-night.  White  Burgundy — Montrachet 
—    Sir,  I  am  your  debtor ! 

It  was  this  morning  in  the  Champ  de  Mars.  Your 
pardon,  friends,  while  an  old  man  tells  his  trouble.  You 
saw  the  review.  Was  it  not  splendid.?  I  was  in  the  en- 
closure for  veteran  officers  who  have  been  decorated. 
This  ribbon  on  my  breast  was  my  passport.  The  cross 
itself  I  keep  at  home  in  a  leathern  pouch.    They  did  us 


17^       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

honour,  for  we  were  placed  at  the  saluting  point,  with 
the  Emperor  and  the  carriages  of  the  Court  upon  our 
right. 

It  is  years  since  I  have  been  to  a  review,  for  I  cannot 
approve  of  many  things  which  I  have  seen.  I  do  not  ap- 
prove of  the  red  breeches  of  the  infantry.  It  was  in 
white  breeches  that  the  infantry  used  to  fight.  Red  is 
for  the  cavalry.  A  little  more,  and  they  would  ask  our 
busbies  and  our  spurs !  Had  I  been  seen  at  a  review  they 
might  well  have  said  that  I,  Etienne  Gerard,  had  con- 
doned it.  So  I  have  stayed  at  home.  But  this 
war  of  the  Crimea  is  different.  The  men  go  to  bat- 
tle. It  is  not  for  me  to  be  absent  when  brave  men 
gather. 

My  faith,  they  march  well,  those  little  infantrymen! 
They  are  not  large,  but  they  are  very  solid  and  they 
carry  themselves  well.  I  took  off  my  hat  to  them  as  they 
passed.  Then  there  came  the  guns.  They  were  good 
guns,  well  horsed  and  well  manned.  I  took  off  my  hat 
to  them.  Then  came  the  Engineers,  and  to  them  also 
I  took  off  my  hat.  There  are  no  braver  men  than  the 
Engineers.  Then  came  the  cavalry.  Lancers,  Cuiras- 
siers, Chasseurs,  and  Spahis.  To  all  of  them  in  turn  I 
was   able  to  take  off  my  hat,  save  only  to   the  Spa- 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO   MINSK  173 

liis.  The  Emperor  had  no  Spahis.  But  when  all 
of  the  others  had  passed,  what  think  you  came  at 
the  close?  A  brigade  of  Hussars,  and  at  the  charge! 
Oh,  my  friends,  the  pride  and  the  glory  and  the  beauty, 
the  flash  and  the  sparkle,  the  roar  of  the  hoofs  and  the 
jingle  of  chains,  the  tossing  manes,  the  noble  heads,  the 
rolling  cloud,  and  the  dancing  waves  of  steel !  My  heart 
drummed  to  them  as  they  passed.  And  the  last  of  all, 
was  it  not  my  own  old  regiment  ?  My  eyes  fell  upon  the 
grey  and  silver  dolmans,  with  the  leopard-skin  shab- 
raques,  and  at  that  instant  the  years  fell  away  from  me 
and  I  saw  my  own  beautiful  men  and  horses,  even  as  they 
had  swept  behind  their  young  colonel,  in  the  pride  of  our 
youth  and  our  strength,  just  forty  years  ago.  Up  flew 
my  cane.  ^'Chargez!  En  avant!  Vive  VEmpereurl" 
It  was  the  past  calling  to  the  present.  But  oh,  what  a 
thin,  piping  voice!  Was  this  the  voice  that  had  once 
thundered  from  wing  to  wing  of  a  strong  brigade  ?  And 
the  arm  that  could  scarce  wave  a  cane,  were  these  the 
muscles  of  fire  and  steel  which  had  no  match  in  all  Na- 
poleon's mighty  host  ?  They  smiled  at  me.  They  cheered 
me.  The  Emperor  laughed  and  bowed.  But  to  me  the 
present  was  a  dim  dream,  and  what  was  real  were  my 
eight  hundred  dead  Hussars  and  the  Etienne  of  long  ago. 


174   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

Enough — a  brave  man  can  face  age  and  fate  as  he  faced 
Cossacks  and  Uhlans.  But  there  are  times  when  Montr a- 
chet  is  better  than  the  wine  of  Bordeaux. 

It  is  to  Russia  that  they  go,  and  so  I  will  tell  you  a 
story  of  Russia.  Ah,  what  an  evil  dream  of  the  night  it 
seems !  Blood  and  ice.  Ice  and  blood.  Fierce  faces 
with  snow  upon  the  whiskers.  Blue  hands  held  out  for 
succour.  And  across  the  great  white  plain  the  one  long 
black  line  of  moving  figures,  trudging,  trudging,  a  hun- 
dred miles,  another  hundred,  and  still  always  the  same 
white  plain.  Sometimes  there  were  fir-woods  to  limit  it, 
sometimes  it  stretched  away  to  the  cold  blue  sky,  but  the 
black  line  stumbled  on  and  on.  Those  weary,  ragged, 
starving  men,  the  spirit  frozen  out  of  them,  looked 
neither  to  right  nor  left,  but  with  sunken  faces  and 
rounded  backs  trailed  onward  and  ever  onward,  making 
for  France  as  wounded  beasts  make  for  their  lair.  There 
was  no  speaking,  and  you  could  scarce  hear  the  shuffle 
of  feet  in  the  snow.  Once  only  I  heard  them  laugh.  It 
was  outside  Wilna,  when  an  aide-de-camp  rode  up  to  the 
head  of  that  dreadful  column  and  asked  if  that  were  the 
Grand  Army.  All  who  v/ere  within  hearing  looked 
round,  and  when  they  saw  those  broken  men,  those  ruined 
regiments,  those  fur-capped  skeletons  who  were  once  the 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO   MINSK  175 

Guard,  they  laughed,  and  the  laugh  crackled  down  the 
column  like  a  feu  de  joie.  I  have  heard  many  a  groan 
and  cry  and  scream  in  my  life,  but  nothing  so  terrible 
as  the  laugh  of  the  Grand  Army. 

But  why  was  it  that  these  helpless  men  were  not  de- 
stroyed by  the  Russians  ?  Why  was  it  that  they  were  not 
speared  by  the  Cossacks  or  herded  into  droves,  and  driven 
as  prisoners  into  the  heart  of  Russia  ?  On  every  side  as 
you  watched  the  black  snake  winding  over  the  snow  you 
saw  also  dark,  moving  shadows  which  came  and  went  like 
cloud  drifts  on  either  flank  and  behind.  They  were  the 
Cossacks,  who  hung  round  us  like  wolves  round  the  flock. 
But  the  reason  why  they  did  not  ride  in  upon  us  was  that 
all  the  ice  of  Russia  could  not  cool  the  hot  hearts  of  some 
of  our  soldiers.  To  the  end  there  were  always  those  who 
"were  ready  to  throw  themselves  between  these  savages 
and  their  prey.  One  man  above  all  rose  greater  as  the 
danger  thickened,  and  won  a  higher  name  amid  disaster 
than  he  had  done  when  he  led  our  van  to  victory.  To 
him  I  drink  this  glass — ^to  Ney,  the  red-maned  Lion, 
glaring  back  over  his  shoulder  at  the  enemy  who  feared 
to  tread  too  closely  on  his  heels.  I  can  see  him  now,  his 
broad  white  face  convulsed  with  fury,  his  light  blue  eyes 
sparkling  like  flints,  his  great  voice  roaring  and  crasliing 


176   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

amid  the  roll  of  the  musketry.  His  glazed  and  feather- 
less  cocked  hat  was  the  ensign  upon  which  France  rallied 
during  those  dreadful  days. 

It  is  well  known  that  neither  I  nor  the  regiment  of 
Hussars  of  Conflans  were  at  Moscow.  We  were  left  be- 
hind on  the  lines  of  communication  at  Borodino.  How 
the  Emperor  could  have  advanced  without  us  is  incom- 
prehensible to  me,  and,  indeed,  it  was  only  then  that  I 
understood  that  his  judgment  was  weakening  and  that 
he  was  no  longer  the  man  that  he  had  been.  However, 
a  soldier  has  to  obey  orders,  and  so  I  remained  at  this 
village,  which  was  poisoned  by  the  bodies  of  thirty  thou- 
sand men  who  had  lost  their  lives  in  the  great  battle.  I 
spent  the  late  autumn  in  getting  my  horses  into  condi- 
tion and  reclothing  my  men,  so  that  when  the  army  fell 
back  on  Borodino  my  Hussars  were  the  best  of  the  cav- 
alry, and  were  placed  under  Ney  in  the  rear-guard. 
What  could  he  have  done  without  us  during  those 
dreadful  days.?  "Ah,  Gerard,"  said  he  one  evening — 
but  it  is  not  for  me  to  repeat  the  words.  Suffice  it  that 
he  spoke  what  the  whole  army  felt.  The  rear-guard  cov- 
ered the  army  and  the  Hussars  of  Conflans  covered  the 
rear-guard.  There  was  the  whole  truth  in  a  sentence. 
Always  the  Cossacks  were  on  us.    Always  we  held  them 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO  MINSK  177 

off.  Never  a  day  passed  that  we  had  not  to  wipe  our 
sabres.     That  was  soldiering  indeed. 

But  there  came  a  time  between  Wilna  and  Smolensk 
when  the  situation  became  impossible.  Cossacks  and 
even  cold  we  could  fight,  but  we  could  not  fight  hunger 
as  well.  Food  must  be  got  at  all  costs.  That  night  Ney 
sent  for  me  to  the  waggon  in  which  he  slept.  His  great 
head  was  sunk  on  his  hands.  Mind  and  body  he  was 
wearied  to  death. 

"Colonel  Gerard,"  said  he,  "things  are  going  very 
badly  with  us.  The  men  are  starving.  We  must  have 
food  at  all  costs." 

"The  horses,"  I  suggested. 

"Save  your  handful  of  cavalry ;  there  are  none  left." 

"The  band,"  said  I. 

He  laughed,  even  in  his  despair. 

"Why  the  band.?"  he  asked. 

"Fighting  men  are  of  value." 

"Good,"  said  he.  "You  would  play  the  game  down 
to  the  last  card  and  so  would  I.  Good,  Gerard,  good !" 
He  clasped  my  hand  in  his.  "But  there  is  one  chance  for 
us  yet,  Gerard."  He  unhooked  a  lantern  from  the  roof 
of  the  waggon  and  he  laid  it  on  a  map  which  was 
stretched  before  him.     "To  the  south  of  us,"  said  he, 


178   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

"there  lies  the  town  of  Minsk.  I  have  word  from  a  Rus- 
sian deserter  that  much  corn  has  been  stored  in  the  town- 
hall.  I  wish  you  to  take  as  many  men  as  you  think  best, 
set  forth  for  Minsk,  seize  the  corn,  load  any  carts  which 
you  may  collect  in  the  town,  and  bring  them  to  me 
between  here  and  Smolensk.  If  you  fail  it  is  but  a 
detachment  cut  off.  If  you  succeed  it  is  new  life  to 
the  army." 

He  had  not  expressed  himself  well,  for  it  was  evident 
that  if  we  failed  it  was  not  merely  the  loss  of  a  detach- 
ment. It  is  quality  as  well  as  quantity  which  counts. 
And  yet  how  honourable  a  mission  and  how  glorious  a 
risk !  If  mortal  men  could  bring  it,  then  the  corn  should 
come  from  Minsk.  I  said  so,  and  spoke  a  few  burning 
words  about  a  brave  man's  duty  until  the  Marshal  was 
so  moved  that  he  rose  and,  taking  me  affectionately  by 
the  shoulders,  pushed  me  out  of  the  waggon. 

It  was  clear  to  me  that  in  order  to  succeed  in  my  enter- 
prise I  should  take  a  small  force  and  depend  rather  upon 
surprise  than  upon  numbers.  A  large  body  could  not 
conceal  itself,  would  have  great  difficulty  in  getting  food, 
and  would  cause  all  the  Russians  around  us  to  concentrate 
for  its  certain  destruction.  On  the  other  hand,  if  a  small 
body  of  cavalry  could  get  past  the  Cossacks  unseen  it 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO   MINSK  179 

was  probable  that  they  would  find  no  troops  to  oppose 
them,  for  we  knew  that  the  main  Russian  army  was  sev- 
eral days'  march  behind  us.  This  corn  was  meant,  no 
doubt,  for  their  consumption.  A  squadron  of  Hussars 
and  thirty  Polish  Lancers  were  all  whom  I  chose  for  the 
venture.  That  very  night  we  rode  out  of  the  camp,  and 
struck  south  in  the  direction  of  Minsk. 

Fortunately  there  was  but  a  half  moon,  and  we  were 
able  to  pass  without  being  attacked  by  the  enemy.  Twice 
we  saw  great  fires  burning  amid  the  snow,  and  around 
them  a  thick  bristle  of  long  poles.  These  were  the  lances 
of  Cossacks,  which  they  had  stood  upright  while  they 
slept.  It  would  have  been  a  great  joy  to  us  to  have 
charged  in  amongst  them,  for  we  had  much  to  revenge, 
and  the  eyes  of  my  comrades  looked  longingly  from  me 
to  those  red  flickering  patches  in  the  darkness.  My 
faith,  I  was  sorely  tempted  to  do  it,  for  it  would  have 
been  a  good  lesson  to  teach  them  that  they  must  keep  a 
few  miles  between  themselves  and  a  French  army.  It  is 
the  essence  of  good  generalship,  however,  to  keep 
one  thing  before  one  at  a  time,  and  so  we  rode  silently  on 
through  the  snow,  leaving  these  Cossack  bivouacs  to 
right  and  left.  Behind  us  the  black  sky  was  all  mottled 
with  a  line  of  flame  which  showed  where  our  own  poor 


180   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

wretches  were  trying  to  keep  themselves  ahve  for  another 
day  of  misery  and  starvation. 

All  night  we  rode  slowly  onward,  keeping  our  horses' 
tails  to  the  Pole  Star.  There  were  many  tracks  in  the 
snow,  and  we  kept  to  the  line  of  these,  that  no  one  might 
remark  that  a  body  of  cavalry  had  passed  that  way. 
These  are  the  little  precautions  which  mark  the  expe- 
rienced officer.  Besides,  by  keeping  to  the  tracks  we 
were  most  likely  to  find  the  villages,  and  only  in  the  vil- 
lages could  we  hope  to  get  food.  The  dawn  of  day  found 
us  in  a  thick  fir-wood,  the  trees  so  loaded  with  snow  that 
the  light  could  hardly  reach  us.  When  we  had  found 
our  way  out  of  it  it  was  full  daylight,  the  rim  of  the  ris- 
ing sun  peeping  over  the  edge  of  the  great  snow-plain 
and  turning  it  crimson  from  end  to  end.  I  halted  my 
Hussars  and  Lancers  under  the  shadow  of  the  wood,  and 
I  studied  the  country.  Close  to  us  there  was  a  small 
farm-house.  Beyond,  at  the  distance  of  several  miles, 
was  a  village.  Far  away  on  the  sky-line  rose  a  consider- 
able town  all  bristling  with  church  towers.  This  must 
be  Minsk.  In  no  direction  could  I  see  any  signs  of 
troops.  It  was  evident  that  we  had  passed  through  the 
Cossacks  and  that  there  was  nothing  between  us  and  our 
goal.    A  joyous  shout  burst  from  my  men  when  I  told 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO  MINSK  181 

them  our  position,  and  we  advanced  rapidly  toward  the 
village. 

I  have  said,  however,  that  there  was  a  small  farm- 
house immediately  in  front  of  us.  As  we  rode  up  to  it 
I  observed  that  a  fine  grey  horse  with  a  military  saddle 
was  tethered  by  the  door.  Instantly  I  galloped  forward, 
but  before  I  could  reach  it  a  man  dashed  out  of  the  door, 
flung  himself  on  to  the  horse,  and  rode  furiously  away, 
the  crisp,  dry  snow  flying  up  in  a  cloud  behind  him.  The 
sunlight  gleamed  upon  his  gold  epaulettes,  and  I  knew 
that  he  was  a  Russian  officer.  He  would  raise  the  whole 
country-side  if  we  did  not  catch  him.  I  put  spurs  to 
Violette  and  flew  after  him.  My  troopers  followed;  but 
there  was  no  horse  among  them  to  compare  with  Violette, 
and  I  knew  well  that  if  I  could  not  catch  the  Russian  I 
need  expect  no  help  from  them. 

But  it  is  a  swift  horse  indeed  and  a  skilful  rider  who 
can  hope  to  escape  from  Violette  with  Etienne  Gerard  in 
the  saddle.  He  rode  well,  this  young  Russian,  and  his 
mount  was  a  good  one,  but  gradually  we  wore  him  down. 
His  face  glanced  continually  over  his  shoulder — a  dark, 
handsome  face,  with  eyes  like  an  eagle — and  I  saw  as  I 
closed  with  him  that  he  was  measuring  the  distance  be- 
tween us.     Suddenly  he  half  turned;  there  were  a  flash 


182   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

and  a  crack  as  his  pistol  bullet  hummed  past  my  ear. 
Before  he  could  draw  his  sword  I  was  upon  him ;  but  he 
I  still  spurred  his  horse,  and  the  two  galloped  together 
over  the  plain,  I  with  my  leg  against  the  Russian's  and 
my  left  hand  upon  his  right  shoulder.  I  saw  his  hand 
fly  up  to  his  mouth.  Instantly  I  dragged  him  across 
my  pommel  and  seized  him  by  the  throat,  so  that  he 
could  not  swallow.  His  horse  shot  from  under  him,  but 
I  held  him  fast  and  Violette  came  to  a  stand.  Sergeant 
Oudin  of  the  Hussars  was  the  first  to  join  us.  He  was 
an  old  soldier,  and  he  saw  at  a  glance  what  I  was 
after.  r 

"Hold  tight.  Colonel,"  said  he,  "I'll  do  the  rest." 
He  slipped  out  his  knife,  thrust  the  blade  between  the 
clenched  teeth  of  the  Russian,  and  turned  it  so  as  to 
force  his  mouth  open.  There,  on  his  tongue,  was  the  lit- 
tle wad  of  wet  paper  which  he  had  been  so  anxious  to 
swallow.  Oudin  picked  it  out  and  I  let  go  of  the  man's 
throat.  From  the  way  in  which,  half  strangled  as  he 
was,  he  glanced  at  the  paper  I  w^s  sure  that  it  was  a  mes- 
sage of  extreme  importance.  His  hands  twitched  as  if 
he  longed  to  snatch  it  from  me.  He  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders, however,  and  smiled  good-humouredly  when  I  apol- 
ogised for  my  roughness. 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO   MINSK  183 

**And  now  to  business,"  said  I,  when   he  had  done 
coughing  and  hawking.    "What  is  your  name?" 
"Alexis  BarakofF." 
"Your  rank  and  regiment?" 
"Captain  of  the  Dragoons  of  Grodno." 
"What  is  this  note  which  you  were  carrying?" 
"It  is  a  line  which  I  had  written  to  my  sweetheart." 
"Whose  name,"  said  I,  examining  the  address,  "is  the 
Hetman  PlatofF.     Come,  come,  sir,  this  is  an  important 
military  document,   which  you  are  carrying  from  one 
general  to  another.     Tell  me  this  instant  what  it  is." 

"Read  it  and  then  you  will  know."  He  spoke  perfect 
French,  as  do  most  of  the  educated  Russians.  But  he 
knew  well  that  there  is  not  one  French  officer  in  a  thou- 
sand who  knows  a  word  of  Russian.  The  inside  of  the 
note  contained  one  single  line,  which  ran  like  this : — 
''Pustj  Franzuzy  pridutt  v  Minsk,  Mm  gotovy,^^ 
I  stared  at  it,  and  I  had  to  shake  my  head.  Then  I 
showed  it  to  my  Hussars,  but  they  could  make  nothing 
of  it.  The  Poles  were  all  rough  fellows  who  could  not 
read  or  write,  save  only  the  sergeant,  who  came  from 
Memel,  in  East  Prussia,  and  knew  no  Russian.  It  was 
maddening,  for  I  felt  that  I  had  possession  of  some  im- 
portant secret  upon  which  the  safety  of  the  army  might 


184j  the  adventures  OF  GERARD 
depend,  and  yet  I  could  make  no  sense  of  it.  Again  I 
entreated  our  prisoner  to  translate  it,  and  oflPered  him  his 
freedom  if  he  would  do  so.  He  only  smiled  at  my  re- 
quest. I  could  not  but  admire  him,  for  it  was  the  very 
smile  which  I  should  have  myself  smiled  had  I  been  in  his 
position. 

"At  least,"  said  I,  "tell  us  the  name  of  this  village." 

"It  is  Dobrova." 

"And  that  is  Minsk  over  yonder,  I  suppose." 

"Yes,  that  is  Minsk." 

"Then  we  shall  go  to  the  village  and  we  shall  very 
soon  find  some  one  who  will  translate  this  despatch." 

So  we  rode  onward  together,  a  trooper  with  his  carbine 
unslung  on  either  side  of  our  prisoner.  The  village  was 
but  a  little  place,  and  I  set  a  guard  at  the  ends  of  the  sin- 
gle street,  so  that  no  one  could  escape  from  it.  It  was 
necessary  to  call  a  halt  and  to  find  some  food  for  the  men 
and  horses,  since  they  had  travelled  all  night  and  had  a 
long  journey  still  before  them. 

There  was  one  large  stone  house  in  the  centre  of  the 
village,  and  to  this  I  rode.  It  was  the  house  of  the  priest 
— a  snuffy  and  ill-favoured  old  man  who  had  not  a  civil 
answer  to  any  of  our  questions.  An  uglier  fellow  I  never 
met,  but,  my  faith,  it  was  very  difi^erent  with  his  only 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO  MINSK  185 

daughter,  who  kept  house  for  him.  She  was  a  brunette, 
a  rare  thing  in  Russia,  with  creamy  skin,  raven  hair,  and 
a  pair  of  the  most  glorious  dark  eyes  that  ever  kindled 
at  the  sight  of  a  Hussar.  From  the  first  glance  I  saw 
that  she  was  mine.  It  was  no  time  for  love-making  when 
a  soldier's  duty  had  to  be  done,  but  still,  as  I  took  the 
simple  meal  which  they  laid  before  me,  I  chatted  lightly 
with  the  lady,  and  we  were  the  best  of  friends  before  an 
hour  had  passed.  Sophie  was  her  first  name,  her  second 
I  never  knew.  I  taught  her  to  call  me  Etienne,  and  I 
tried  to  cheer  her  up,  for  her  sweet  face  was  sad  and 
there  were  tears  in  her  beautiful  dark  eyes.  I  pressed 
her  to  tell  me  what  it  was  which  was  grieving  her. 

"How  can  I  be  otherwise,"  said  she,  speaking  French 
with  a  most  adorable  lisp,  "when  one  of  my  poor  coun- 
trymen is  a  prisoner  in  your  hands  ?  I  saw  him  between 
two  of  your  Hussars  as  you  rode  into  the  village." 

"It  is  the  fortune  of  war,"  said  I.  "His  turn  to-day ; 
mine,  perhaps,  to-morrow." 

"But  consider,  Monsieur — "  said  she, 

"Etienne,"  said  I. 

"Oh,  Monsieur " 

"Etienne,"  said  I. 

"Well,  then,"  she  cried,  beautifully  flushed  and  des- 


186   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

peratej  "consider,  Etienne,  that  this  young  officer  will 
be  taken  back  to  your  army  and  will  be  starved  or  frozen, 
for  if,  as  I  hear,  your  own  soldiers  have  a  hard  march, 
what  will  be  the  lot  of  a  prisoner?" 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders. 

"You  have  a  kind  face,  Etienne,"  said  she;  "you 
would  not  condemn  this  poor  man  to  certain  death.  I 
entreat  you  to  let  him  go." 

Her  delicate  hand  rested  upon  my  sleeve,  her  dark 
eyes  looked  imploringly  into  mine. 

A  sudden  thought  passed  through  my  mind.  I  would 
grant  her  request,  but  I  would  demand  a  favour  in  re- 
turn. At  my  order  the  prisoner  was  brought  up  into  the 
room, 

"Captain  BarakofF,"  said  I,  "this  young  lady  has 
begged  me  to  release  you,  and  I  am  inclined  to  do  so.  I 
would  ask  you  to  give  your  parole  that  you  will  remain 
in  this  dwelling  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  take  no  steps 
to  inform  anyone  of  our  movements." 

"I  will  do  so,"  said  he. 

"Then  I  trust  in  your  honour.  One  man  more  or  less 
can  make  no  difference  in  a  struggle  between  great  ar- 
mies, and  to  take  you  back  as  a  prisoner  would  be  to  con- 
demn you  to  death.    Depart,  sir,  and  show  your  grati- 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO   MINSK  187 

tude  not  to  me,  but  to  the  first  French  officer  who  falls 
into  your  hands." 

When  he  was  gone  I  drew  my  paper  from  my  pocket, 

"Now,  Sophie,"  said  I,  "I  have  done  what  you  asked 
me,  and  all  that  I  ask  in  return  is  that  you  will  give  me 
a  lesson  in  Russian." 

"With  all  my  heart,"  said  she. 

"Let  us  begin  on  this,"  said  I,  spreading  out  the  pa- 
per before  her.  "Let  us  take  it  word  for  word  and  see 
what  it  means." 

She  looked  at  the  writing  with  some  surprise.  "It 
means,"  said  she,  "if  the  French  come  to  Minsk  all  is 
lost."  Suddenly  a  look  of  consternation  passed  over  her 
beautiful  face.  "Great  Heavens !"  she  cried,  "what  is  it 
that  I  have  done.f*  I  have  betrayed  my  country!  Oh, 
Etienne,  your  eyes  are  the  last  for  whom  this  message  is 
meant.  How  could  you  be  so  cunning  as  to  make  a  poor, 
simple-minded,  and  unsuspecting  girl  betray  the  cause 
of  her  country  ?" 

I  consoled  my  poor  Sophie  as  best  I  might,  and  I  as- 
sured her  that  it  was  no  reproach  to  her  that  she  should 
be  outwitted  by  so  old  a  campaigner  and  so  shrewd  a  man 
as  myself.  But  it  was  no  time  now  for  talk.  This  mes- 
sage made  it  clear  that  the  corn  was  indeed  at  Minsk,  and 


188   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

that  there  were  no  troops  there  to  defend  it.  I  gave  a 
hurried  order  from  the  window,  the  trumpeter  blew  the 
assembly,  and  in  ten  minutes  we  had  left  the  village  be- 
hind us  and  were  riding  hard  for  the  city,  the  gilded 
domes  and  minarets  of  which  glimmered  above  the  snow 
of  the  horizon.  Higher  they  rose  and  higher,  until  at 
last,  as  the  sun  sank  toward  the  west,  we  were  in  the  broad 
main  street,  and  galloped  up  it  amid  the  shouts  of  the 
moujiks  and  the  cries  of  frightened  women  until  we 
found  ourselves  in  front  of  the  great  town-hall.  My 
cavalry  I  drew  up  in  the  square,  and  I,  with  my  two 
sergeants,  Oudin  and  Papilette,  rushed  into  the 
building. 

Heavens !  shall  I  ever  forget  the  sight  which  greeted 
us?  Right  in  front  of  us  was  drawn  up  a  triple  line  of 
Russian  Grenadiers.  Their  muskets  rose  as  we  entered, 
and  a  crashing  volley  burst  into  our  very  faces.  Oudin 
and  Papilette  dropped  upon  the  floor,  riddled  with  bul- 
lets. For  myself,  my  busby  was  shot  away  and  I  had 
two  holes  through  my  dolman.  The  Grenadiers  ran  at 
me  with  their  bayonets.  "Treason !"  I  cried.  "We  are 
betrayed !  Stand  to  your  horses !"  I  rushed  out  of  the 
hall,  but  the  whole  square  was  swarming  with  troops. 
From  every  side  street  Dragoons  and  Cossacks  were  rid- 


HOW  HE   RODE   TO   MINSK  189 

ing  down  upon  us,  and  such  a  rolling  fire  had  burst  from 
the  surrounding  houses  that  half  my  men  and  horses 
were  on  the  ground.  "Follow  me !"  I  yelled,  and  sprang 
upon  Violette,  but  a  giant  of  a  Russian  Dragoon  officer 
threw  his  arms  round  me  and  we  rolled  on  the  ground  to- 
gether. He  shortened  his  sword  to  kill  me,  but,  chang- 
ing his  mind,  he  seized  me  by  the  throat  and  banged  my 
head  against  the  stones  until  I  was  unconscious.  So  it 
was  that  I  became  the  prisoner  of  the  Russians. 

When  I  came  to  myself  my  only  regret  was  that  my 
captor  had  not  beaten  out  my  brains.  There  in  the  grand 
square  of  Minsk  lay  half  my  troopers  dead  or  wounded, 
with  exultant  crowds  of  Russians  gathered  round  them. 
The  rest  in  a  melancholy  group  were  herded  into  the 
porch  of  the  town-hall,  a  sotnia  of  Cossacks  keeping 
guard  over  them.  Alas !  what  could  I  say,  what  could  I 
do?  It  was  evident  that  I  had  led  my  men  into  a  care- 
fully-baited trap.  They  had  heard  of  our  mission  and 
they  had  prepared  for  us.  And  yet  there  was  that  des- 
patch which  had  caused  me  to  neglect  all  precautions 
and  to  ride  straight  into  the  town.  How  was  I  to  account 
for  that.?  The  tears  ran  down  my  cheeks  as  I  surveyed 
the  ruin  of  my  squadron,  and  as  I  thought  of  the  plight 
of  my  comrades  of  the  Grand  Army  who  awaited  the 


190   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

food  which  I  was  to  have  brought  them.  Ney  had 
trusted  me  and  I  had  failed  him.  How  often  he  would 
strain  his  eyes  over  the  snow-fields  for  that  convoy  of 
grain  which  should  never  gladden  his  sight !  My  own 
fate  was  hard  enough.  An  exile  in  Siberia  was  the  best 
which  the  future  could  bring  me.  But  you  will  believe 
me,  my  friends,  that  it  was  not  for  his  own  sake,  but  for 
that  of  his  starving  comrades,  that  Etienne  Gerard's 
cheeks  were  lined  by  his  tears,  frozen  even  as  they  were 
shed. 

"What's  this .?"  said  a  gruff  voice  at  my  elbow ;  and  I 
turned  to  face  the  huge,  black-bearded  Dragoon  who  had 
dragged  me  from  my  saddle.  "Look  at  the  Frenchman 
crying!  I  thought  that  the  Corsican  was  followed  by 
brave  men  and  not  by  children." 

"If  you  and  I  were  face  to  face  and  alone,  I  should 
let  you  see  which  is  the  better  man,"  said  I. 

For  ansv/er  the  brute  struck  me  across  the  face  with 
his  open  hand.  I  seized  him  by  the  throat,  but  a  dozen 
of  his  soldiers  tore  me  away  from  him,  and  he  struck  me 
again  while  they  held  my  hands. 

"You  base  hound,"  I  cried,  "is  this  the  way  to  treat 
an  officer  and  a  gentleman?" 

"We  never  asked  you  to  come  to  Russia,"  said  he.    "If 


HOW  HE  RODE  TO  MINSK  191 

you  do  you  must  take  such  treatment  as  you  can  get.  I 
would  shoot  you  off-hand  if  I  had  my  way." 

"You  will  answer  for  this  some  day,"  I  cried,  as  I 
wiped  the  blood  from  my  moustache. 

"If  the  Hetman  PlatofF  is  of  my  way  of  thinking  you 
will  not  be  alive  this  time  to-morrow,"  he  answered,  with 
a  ferocious  scowl.  He  added  some  words  in  Russian  to 
his  troops,  and  instantly  they  all  sprang  to  their  saddles. 
Poor  Violette,  looking  as  miserable  as  her  master,  was 
led  round  and  I  was  told  to  mount  her.  My  left  arm 
was  tied  with  a  thong  which  was  fastened  to  the  stirrup- 
iron  of  a  sergeant  of  Dragoons.  So  in  most  sorry  plight 
I  and  the  remnant  of  my  men  set  forth  from  Minsk. 

Never  have  I  met  such  a  brute  as  this  man  Sergine, 
who  commanded  the  escort.  The  Russian  army  contains 
the  best  and  the  worst  in  the  world,  but  a  worse  than 
Major  Sergine  of  the  Dragoons  of  Kieff  I  have  never 
seen  in  any  force  outside  of  the  guerillas  of  the  Peninsula. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  stature,  with  a  fierce,  hard  face 
and  a  bristling  black  beard,  which  fell  over  his  cuirass. 
I  have  been  told  since  that  he  was  noted  for  his  strength 
and  his  bravery,  and  I  could  answer  for  it  that  he  had 
the  grip  of  a  bear,  for  I  had  felt  it  when  he  tore  me  from 
my  saddle.     He  was  a  wit,  too,  in  his  way,  and  made 


192   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

continual  remarks  in  Russian  at  our  expense  which  set  all 
his  Dragoons  and  Cossacks  laughing.  Twice  he  beat  my 
comrades  with  his  riding- whip,  and  once  he  approached 
me  with  the  lash  swung  over  his  shoulder,  but  there  was 
something  in  my  eyes  which  prevented  it  from  falling. 
So  in  misery  and  humiliation,  cold  and  starving,  we  rode 
in  a  disconsolate  column  across  the  vast  snow-plain.  The 
sun  had  sunk,  but  still  in  the  long  northern  twilight  we 
pursued  our  weary  journey.  Numbed  and  frozen,  with 
my  head  aching  from  the  blows  it  had  received,  I  was 
borne  onward  by  Violette,  hardly  conscious  of  where 
I  was  or  whither  I  was  going.  The  little  mare  walked 
with  a  sunken  head,  only  raising  it  to  snort  her 
contempt  for  the  mangy  Cossack  ponies  who  were  round 
her. 

But  suddenly  the  escort  stopped,  and  I  found  that  wt 
had  halted  in  the  single  street  of  a  small  Russian  village. 
There  was  a  church  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  was  a 
large  stone  house,  the  outline  of  which  seemed  to  me  to 
be  familiar.  I  looked  around  me  in  the  twilight,  and 
then  I  saw  that  we  had  been  led  back  to  Dobrova,  and 
that  this  house  at  the  door  of  which  we  were  waiting  was 
the  same  house  of  the  priest  at  which  we  had  stopped  in 
the  morning.    Here  it  was  that  my  charming  Sophie  in 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO   MINSK  193 

her  innocence  had  translated  the  unlucky  message  which 
had  in  some  strange  way  led  us  to  our  ruin.  To  think 
that  only  a  few  hours  before  we  had  left  this  very  spot 
with  such  high  hopes  and  all  fair  prospects  for  our  mis- 
sion, and  now  the  remnants  of  us  waited  as  beaten  and 
humiliated  men  for  whatever  lot  a  brutal  enemy  might 
ordain !  But  such  is  the  fate  of  the  soldier,  my  friends 
— ^kisses  to-day,  blows  to-morrow.  Tokay  in  a  palace, 
ditch-water  in  a  hovel,  furs  or  rags,  a  full  purse  or  an 
empty  pocket,  ever  swaying  from  the  best  to  the  worst, 
with  only  his  courage  and  his  honour  unchanging. 

The  Russian  horsemen  dismounted,  and  my  poor  fel- 
lows were  ordered  to  do  the  same.  It  was  already  late, 
and  it  was  clearly  their  intention  to  spend  the  night  in 
this  village.  There  were  great  cheering  and  joy  amongst 
the  peasants  when  they  understood  that  we  had  all  been 
taken,  and  they  flocked  out  of  their  houses  with  flaming 
torches,  the  women  carrying  out  tea  and  brandy  for  the 
Cossacks.  Amongst  others  the  old  priest  came  forth — 
the  same  whom  we  had  seen  in  the  morning.  He  was  all 
smiles  now,  and  he  bore  with  him  some  hot  punch  on  a 
salver,  the  reek  of  which  I  can  remember  still.  Behind 
her  father  was  Sophie.  With  horror  I  saw  her  clasp 
Major  Sergine's  hand  as  she  congratulated  hinx  upon  the 


194   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

victory  he  had  won  and  the  prisoners  he  had  made.  The 
old  priest,  her  father,  looked  at  me  with  an  insolent  face 
and  made  insulting  remarks  at  my  expense,  pointing  at 
me  with  his  lean  and  grimy  hand.  His  fair  daughter 
Sophie  looked  at  me  also,  but  she  said  nothing,  and  I 
could  read  her  tender  pity  in  her  dark  eyes.  At  last  she 
turned  to  Major  Sergine  and  said  something  to  him  in 
Russian,  on  which  he  frowned  and  shook  his  head  impa- 
tiently. She  appeared  to  plead  with  him,  standing  there 
in  the  flood  of  light  which  shone  from  the  open  door  of 
her  father's  house.  My  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  two 
faces,  that  of  the  beautiful  girl  and  of  the  dark,  fierce 
man,  for  my  instinct  told  me  that  it  was  my  own 
fate  which  was  under  debate.  For  a  long  time  the 
soldier  shook  his  head,  and  then,  at  last  softening 
before  her  pleadings,  he  appeared  to  give  way.  He 
turned  to  where  I  stood  with  my  guardian  sergeant  be- 
side me. 

"These  good  people  offer  you  the  shelter  of  their  roof 
for  the  night,"  said  he  to  me,  looking  me  up  and  down 
with  vindictive  eyes.  "I  find  it  hard  to  refuse  them,  bul 
I  tell  you  straight  that  for  my  part  I  had  rather  see  you 
on  the  snow.  It  would  cool  your  hot  blood,  you  rascal 
of  a  Frenchman!" 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO  MINSK  196 

I  looked  at  him  with  the  contempt  that  I  felt. 

"You  were  born  a  savage  and  jou  will  die  one," 
said  I. 

My  words  stung  him,  for  he  broke  into  an  oath,  rais- 
ing his  whip  as  if  he  would  strike  me. 

"Silence,  you  crop-eared  dog!"  he  cried.  "Had  I  my 
way  some  of  the  insolence  would  be  frozen  out  of  you 
before  morning."  Mastering  his  passion,  he  turned  upon 
Sophie  with  what  he  meant  to  be  a  gallant  manner.  "If 
you  have  a  cellar  with  a  good  lock,"  said  he,  "the  fellow 
may  He  in  it  for  the  night,  since  you  have  done  him  the 
honour  to  take  an  interest  in  his  comfort.  I  must  have 
his  parole  that  he  will  not  attempt  to  play  us  any  tricks, 
as  I  am  answerable  for  him  until  I  hand  him  over  to  the 
Hetman  Platoff  to-morrow." 

His  supercilious  manner  was  more  than  I  could  endure. 
He  had  evidently  spoken  French  to  the  lady  in  order 
that  I  might  understand  the  humiliating  way  in  which 
he  referred  to  me. 

"I  will  take  no  favour  from  you,"  said  I.  "You  may 
do  what  you  like,  but  I  will  never  give  you  my  parole." 

The  Russian  shrugged  his  great  shoulders,  and  turned 
away  as  if  the  matter  were  ended. 

"Very  well,  my  fine  fellow,  so  much  the  worse  for  your 


196       THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

fingers  and  toes.  We  shall  see  how  you  are  in  the  morn- 
ing after  a  night  in  the  snow." 

"One  moment.  Major  Sergine,"  cried  Sophie.  "You 
must  not  be  so  hard  upon  this  prisoner.  There  are  some 
special  reasons  why  he  has  a  claim  upon  our  kindness 
and  mercy." 

The  Russian  looked  with  suspicion  upon  his  face  from 
her  to  me. 

"What  are  the  special  reasons.?  You  certainly  seem 
to  take  a  remarkable  interest  in  this  Frenchman,"  said 
he. 

"The  chief  reason  is  that  he  has  this  very  morning  of 
his  own  accord  released  Captain  Alexis  BarakofF,  of  the 
Dragoons  of  Grodno." 

"It  is  true,"  said  Barakoff,  who  had  come  out  of  the 
house.  "He  captured  me  this  morning,  and  he  released 
me  upon  parole  rather  than  take  me  back  to  the  French 
army,  where  I  should  have  been  starved." 

"Since  Colonel  Gerard  has  acted  so  generously  you 
will  surely,  now  that  fortune  has  changed,  allow  us  to 
offer  him  the  poor  shelter  of  our  cellar  upon  this  bitter 
night,"  said  Sophie.  "It  is  a  small  return  for  his  gen- 
erosity." 

But  the  Dragoon  was  still  in  the  sulks, 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO   MINSK  197 

"Let  him  give  me  his  parole  first  that  he  will  not  at- 
tempt to  escape,"  said  he.  "Do  you  hear,  sir?  Do  you 
give  me  your  parole?" 

"I  give  you  nothing,"  said  L 

"Colonel  Gerard,"  cried  Sophie,  turning  to  me  with  a 
coaxing  smile,  "you  will  give  me  your  parole,  will  you 
not?" 

"To  you,  mademoiselle,  I  can  refuse  nothing.  I  will 
give  you  my  parole,  with  pleasure." 

"There,  Major  Sergine,"  cried  Sophie,  in  triumph, 
"that  is  surely  sufficient.  You  have  heard  him  say  that 
he  gives  me  his  parole.  I  will  be  answerable  for  his 
safety." 

In  an  ungracious  fashion  my  Russian  bear  grunted 
his  consent,  and  so  I  was  led  Into  the  house,  followed  by 
the  scowling  father  and  by  the  big,  black-bearded  Dra- 
goon. In  the  basement  there  was  a  large  and  roomy 
chamber,  where  the  winter  logs  were  stored.  Thither  it 
was  that  I  was  led,  and  I  was  given  to  understand  that 
this  was  to  be  my  lodging  for  the  night.  One  side  of  this 
bleak  apartment  was  heaped  up  to  the  ceiling  with 
fagots  of  firewood.  The  rest  of  the  room  was  stone- 
flagged  and  bare-walled,  with  a  single,  deep-set  window 
upon   one   side,  which   was   safely   guarded  with  iron 


198   THE  ADVENTURES  OE  GERARD 

bars.  For  light  I  had  a  large  stable  lantern,  which 
swung  from  a  beam  of  the  low  ceiling.  Major  Ser- 
gine  smiled  as  he  took  this  down,  and  swung  it  round 
so  as  to  throw  its  light  into  every  corner  of  that  dreary 
chamber. 

"How  do  you  like  our  Russian  hotels,  monsieur?"  he 
asked,  with  his  hateful  sneer.  "They  are  not  very  grand, 
but  they  are  the  best  that  we  can  give  you.  Perhaps  the 
next  time  that  you  Frenchmen  take  a  fancy  to  travel 
you  will  choose  some  other  country  where  they  will  make 
you  more  comfortable."  He  stood  laughing  at  me,  his 
white  teeth  gleaming  through  his  beard.  Then  he  left 
me,  and  I  heard  the  great  key  creak  in  the  lock. 

For  an  hour  of  utter  misery,  chilled  in  body  and  soul, 
I  sat  upon  a  pile  of  fagots,  my  face  sunk  upon  my  hands 
and  my  mind  full  of  the  saddest  thoughts.  It  was  cold 
enough  within  those  four  walls,  but  I  thought  of  the 
sufferings  of  my  poor  troopers  outside,  and  I  sorrowed 
with  their  sorrow.  Then  I  paced  up  and  down,  and  I 
clapped  my  hands  together  and  kicked  my  feet  against 
the  walls  to  keep  them  from  being  frozen.  The  lamp 
gave  out  some  warmth,  but  still  it  was  bitterly  cold,  and 
I  had  had  no  food  since  morning.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
everyone  had  forgotten  me,  but  at  last  I  heard  the  key 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO   MINSK  199 

turn  in  the  lock,  and  who  should  enter  but  my  prisoner 
of  the  morning,  Captain  Alexis  Barakoff.     A  bottle  of 
wine  projected  from  under  his  arm,  and  he  carried  a 
^vffreat  plate  of  hot  stew  in  front  of  him. 

"Hush !"  Said  he ;  "not  a  word !  Keep  up  your  heart ! 
I  cannot  stop  to  explain,  for  Sergine  is  still  with  us. 
Keep  awake  and  ready!"  With  these  hurried  words 
he  laid  down  the  welcome  food  and  ran  out  of  the 
room. 

"Keep  awake  and  ready!"  The  words  rang  in  my 
ears.  I  ate  my  food  and  I  drank  my  wine,  but  it  was 
neither  food  nor  wine  which  had  warmed  the  heart  with- 
in me.  What  could  those  words  of  Barakoff  mean.? 
Why  was  I  to  remain  awake?  For  what  was  I  to  be 
ready?  Was  it  possible  that  there  was  a  chance  yet  of 
escape?  I  have  never  respected  the  man  who  neglects 
liis  prayers  at  all  other  times  and  yet  prays  when  he  is 
in  peril.  It  is  like  a  bad  soldier  who  pays  no  respect 
to  the  colonel  save  when  he  would  demand  a  favour  of 
him.  And  yet  when  I  thought  of  the  salt-mines  of  Si- 
beria on  the  one  side  and  of  my  mother  in  France  upon 
the  other,  I  could  not  help  a  prayer  rising,  not  from  my 
lips,  but  from  my  heart,  that  the  words  of  Bara- 
koff might  mean  all  that  I  hoped.    But  hour  after  hour 


200   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

struck  upon  the  village  clock,  and  still  I  heard  noth- 
ing save  the  call  of  the  Russian  sentries  in  the  street 
outside. 

Then  at  last  my  heart  leaped  within  me,  for  I 
heard  a  light  step  in  the  passage.  An  instant  later 
the  key  turned,  the  door  opened,  and  Sophie  was  in  the 
room. 

"Monsieur — ^"  she  cried. 

"Etienne,"  said  I. 

"Nothing  will  change  you,"  said  she.  "But  is  it  pos- 
sible that  you  do  not  hate  me?  Have  you  forgiven  me 
the  trick  which  I  played  you.^*" 

"What  trick?"  I  asked. 

"Good  heavens !  Is  it  possible  that  even  now  you  have 
not  understood  it?  You  have  asked  me  to  translate  the 
despatch.  I  have  told  you  that  it  meant,  'If  the  French 
come  to  Minsk  all  is  lost.'  " 

"What  did  it  mean,  then?" 

"It  means,  'Let  the  French  come  to  Minsk.  We  are 
awaiting  them.'  " 

I  sprang  back  from  her. 

"You  betrayed  me !"  I  cried.  "You  lured  me  into  this 
trap.  It  is  to  you  that  I  owe  the  death  and  capture  of 
my  men.    Fool  that  I  was  to  trust  a  woman !" 


HOW  HE  RODE   TO  MINSK  ^01 

"Do  not  be  unjust,  Colonel  Gerard.  I  am  a  Russian 
woman,  and  my  first  duty  is  to  my  country.  Would  you 
not  wish  a  French  girl  to  have  acted  as  I  have  done? 
Had  I  translated  the  message  correctly  you  would  not 
have  gone  to  Minsk  and  your  squadron  would  have  es- 
caped.    Tell  me  that  you  forgive  me !" 

She  looked  bewitching  as  she  stood  pleading  her 
cause  in  front  of  me.  And  yet,  as  I  thought  of  my 
dead  men,  I  could  not  take  the  hand  which  she  held  out 
to  me. 

"Very  good,"  said  she,  as  she  dropped  it  by  her  side. 
"You  feel  for  your  own  people  and  I  feel  for  mine,  and 
so  we  are  equal.  But  you  have  said  one  wise  and  kindly 
thing  within  these  walls.  Colonel  Gerard.  You  have 
said,  *One  man  more  or  less  can  make  no  difference  in  a 
struggle  between  two  great  armies.'  Your  lesson  of  no- 
bility is  not  wasted.  Behind  those  fagots  is  an  un- 
guarded door.  Here  is  the  key  to  it.  Go  forth,  Colonel 
Gerard,  and  I  trust  that  we  may  never  look  upon  each 
other's  faces  again." 

I  stood  for  an  instant  with  the  key  in  my  hand  and 
my  head  in  a  whirl.    Then  I  handed  it  back  to  her. 

"I  cannot  do  it,"  I  said. 

"Why  not?" 


202       THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

"I  have  given  my  parole." 

"To  whom?"  she  asked. 

"Why,  to  you." 

"And  I  release  you  from  it." 

My  heart  bounded  with  joy.  Of  course,  it  was  true 
what  she  said.  I  had  refused  to  give  my  parole  to  Ser- 
gine.  I  owed  him  no  duty.  If  she  relieved  me  from  my 
promise  my  honour  was  clear.  I  took  the  key  from  her 
hand. 

"You  w^ill  find  Captain  Barakoff  at  the  end  of  the  vil- 
lage street,"  said  she.  "We  of  the  North  never  forget 
either  an  injury  or  a  kindness.  He  has  your  mare  and 
your  sword  waiting  for  you.  Do  not  delay  an  instant, 
for  in  two  hours  it  will  be  dawn." 

So  I  passed  out  into  the  star-lit  Russian  night,  and  had 
that  last  glimpse  of  Sophie  as  she  peered  after  me 
through  the  open  door.  She  looked  wistfully  at  me  as 
if  she  expected  something  more  than  the  cold  thanks 
which  I  gave  her,  but  even  the  humblest  man  hos  his 
pride,  and  I  will  not  deny  that  mine  was  hurt  by  the  de- 
ception which  she  had  played  upon  me.  I  could  not  have 
brought  myself  to  kiss  her  hand,  far  less  her  lips.  The 
door  led  into  a  narrow  alley,  and  at  the  end  of  it  stood  a 
muffled  figure,  who  held  Violette  by  the  bridle. 


HOW   HE   RODE   TO   MINSK  203 

"You  told  me  to  be  kind  to  the  next  French  officer 
whom  I  found  in  distress,"  said  he.  "Good  luck !  Bon 
voyage!"  he  whispered,  as  I  bounded  into  the  saddle. 
"Remember,  'Poltava'  is  the  watchword." 

It  was  well  that  he  had  given  it  to  me,  for  twice  I  had 
to  pass  Cossack  pickets  before  I  was  clear  of  the  lines. 
I  had  just  ridden  past  the  last  vedettes  and  hoped  that 
I  was  a  free  man  again,  when  there  was  a  soft  thudding 
in  the  snow  behind  me,  and  a  heavy  man  upon  a  great 
black  horse  came  swiftly  after  me.  My  first  impulse  was 
to  put  spurs  to  Violette.  My  second,  as  I  saw  a  long 
black  beard  against  a  steel  cuirass,  was  to  halt  and  await 
him. 

"I  thought  that  it  was  you,  you  dog  of  a  Frenchman," 
he  cried,  shaking  his  drawn  sword  at  me.  "So  you  have 
broken  your  parole,  you  rascal !" 

"I  gave  no  parole." 

"You  lie,  you  hound!" 

I  looked  around  and  no  one  was  coming.  The  vedettes 
were  motionless  and  distant.  We  were  all  alone,  with  the 
moon  above  and  the  snow  beneath.  Fortune  has  ever 
been  my  friend. 

"I  gave  you  no  parole." 

"You  gave  it  to  the  lady." 


204   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

"Then  I  will  answer  for  it  to  the  lady." 

"That  would  suit  you  better,  no  doubt.  But,  unfor- 
1  tunately,  you  will  have  to  answer  for  it  to  me." 

"I  am  ready." 

"Your  sword,  too!  There  is  treason  in  this!  Ah,  I 
see  it  all !  The  woman  has  helped  you.  She  shall  see  Si- 
beria for  this  night's  work." 

The  words  were  his  death-warrant.  For  Sophie's  sake 
I  could  not  let  him  go  back  alive.  Our  blades  crossed, 
and  an  instant  later  mine  was  through  his  black 
beard  and  deep  in  his  throat.  I  was  on  the  ground 
almost  as  soon  as  he,  but  the  one  thrust  was  enough.  He 
died,  snapping  his  teeth  at  my  ankles  like  a  savage 
wolf. 

Two  days  later  I  had  rejoined  the  army  at  Smolensk, 
and  was  a  part  once  more  of  that  dreary  proces- 
sion which  tramped  onward  through  the  snow,  leaving 
a  long  weal  of  blood  to  show  the  path  which  it  had 
taken. 

Enough,  my  friends ;  I  would  not  re-awaken  the  mem- 
ory of  those  days  of  misery  and  death.  They  still  come 
to  haunt  me  in  my  dreams.  When  we  halted  at  last  in 
Warsaw  we  had  left  behind  us  our  guns,  our  transport, 
and  three-fourths  of  our  comrades.    But  we  did  not  leave 


HOW  HE   RODE   TO   MINSK  205 

behind  us  the  honour  of  Etienne  Gerard.  They  have  said 
that  I  broke  my  parole.  Let  them  beware  how  they  say 
it  to  my  face,  for  the  story  is  as  I  tell  it,  and  old  as  I  am 
my  forefinger  is  not  too  weak  to  press  a  trigger  when  my 
honour  is  in  question. 


vn 

How  the  Brigadier  Bore  Himself  at  Waterloo 

I.     THE    STORY     OF     THE     FOREST     INN 

Of  all  the  great  battles  in  which  I  had  the  honour  of 
drawing  my  sword  for  the  Emperor  and  for  France 
there  was  not  one  which  was  lost.  At  Waterloo,  al- 
though, in  a  sense,  I  was  present,  I  was  unable  to  fight, 
and  the  enemy  was  victorious.  It  is  not  for  me  to  say 
that  there  is  a  connection  between  these  two  things.  You 
know  me  too  well,  my  friends,  to  imagine  that  I  would 
make  such  a  claim.  But  it  gives  matter  for  thought, 
and  some  have  drawn  flattering  conclusions  from  it. 
After  all,  it  was  only  a  matter  of  breaking  a  few  English 
squares  and  the  day  would  have  been  our  own.  If  the 
Hussars  of  Conflans,  with  Etienne  Gerard  to  lead  them, 
could  not  do  this,  then  the  best  judges  are  mistaken. 
But  let  that  pass.  The  Fates  had  ordained  that  I  should 
hold  my  hand  and  that  the  Empire  should  fall.  But 
they  had  also  ordained  that  this  day  of  gloom  and  sorrow 
should  bring  such  honour  to  me  as  had  never  come  when 

S07 


208   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

I  swept  on  the  wings  of  victory  from  Boulogne  to  Vien- 
na. Never  had  I  burned  so  brilliantly  as  at  that  supreme 
moment  when  the  darkness  fell  upon  all  around  me.  You 
are  aware  that  I  was  faithful  to  the  Emperor  in  his  ad- 
versity, and  that  I  refused  to  sell  my  sword  and  my  hon- 
our to  the  Bourbons.  Never  again  was  I  to  feel  my  war 
horse  between  my  knees,  never  again  to  hear  the  kettle- 
drums and  silver  trumpets  behind  me  as  I  rode  in  front 
of  my  little  rascals.  But  it  comforts  my  heart,  my 
friends,  and  it  brings  the  tears  to  my  eyes,  to  think  how 
great  I  was  upon  that  last  day  of  my  soldier  life,  and  to 
remember  that  of  all  the  remarkable  exploits  which  have 
won  me  the  love  of  so  many  beautiful  women,  and  the  re- 
spect of  so  many  noble  men,  there  was  none  which,  in 
splendour,  in  audacity,  and  in  the  great  end  which  was 
attained,  could  compare  with  my  famous  ride  upon  the 
night  of  June  18th,  1815.  I  am  aware  that  the  story  is 
often  told  at  mess-tables  and  in  barrack-rooms,  so  that 
there  are  few  in  the  army  who  have  not  heard  it,  but 
modesty  has  sealed  my  lips,  until  now,  my  friends,  in 
the  privacy  of  these  intimate  gatherings,  I  am  inclined 
to  lay  the  true  facts  before  you. 

In  the  first  place,  there  is  one  thing  which  I  can  assure 
you.     In  all  his  career  Napoleon  never  had  so  splendid 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      209 

an  army  as  that  with  which  he  took  the  field  for  that  cam- 
paign. In  1813  France  was  exhausted.  For  every  vet- 
eran there  were  five  children — Marie  Louises,  as  we  called 
them,  for  the  Empress  had  busied  herself  in  raising  lev- 
ies while  the  Emperor  took  the  field.  But  it  was  very 
different  in  1815.  The  prisoners  had  all  come  back — 
the  men  from  the  snows  of  Russia,  the  men  from  the  dun- 
geons of  Spain,  the  men  from  the  hulks  in  England. 
These  were  the  dangerous  men,  veterans  of  twenty  bat- 
tles, longing  for  their  old  trade,  and  with  hearts  filled 
with  hatred  and  revenge.  The  ranks  were  full  of  sol- 
diers who  wore  two  and  three  chevrons,  every  chevron 
meaning  five  years'  service.  And  the  spirit  of  these  men 
was  terrible.  They  were  raging,  furious,  fanatical, 
adoring  the  Emperor  as  a  Mameluke  does  his  prophet, 
ready  to  fall  upon  their  own  bayonets  if  their  blood  could 
serve  him.  If  you  had  seen  these  fierce  old  veterans  go- 
ing into  battle,  with  their  flushed  faces,  their  savage 
eyes,  their  furious  yells,  you  would  wonder  that  any- 
thing could  stand  against  them.  So  high  was  the  spirit 
of  France  at  that  time  that  every  other  spirit  would  have 
quailed  before  it;  but  these  people,  these  English,  had 
neither  spirit  nor  soul,  but  only  solid,  immovable  beef, 
against  which  we  broke  ourselves  in  vairu    That  was  it, 


210   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

my  friends!  On  the  one  side,  poetry,  gallantry,  self- 
sacrifice — all  that  is  beautiful  and  heroic.  On  the  other 
side,  beef.  Our  hopes,  our  ideals,  our  dreams — all  were 
shattered  on  that  terrible  beef  of  Old  England. 

You  have  read  how  the  Emperor  gathered  his  forces, 
and  then  how  he  and  I,  with  a  hundred  and  thirty  thou- 
sand veterans,  hurried  to  the  northern  frontier  and  fell 
upon  the  Prussians  and  the  English.  On  the  16th  of 
June,  Ney  held  the  English  in  play  at  Quatre-Bras  while 
we  beat  the  Prussians  at  Ligny.  It  is  not  for  me  to  say 
how  far  I  contributed  to  that  victory,  but  it  is  well 
known  that  the  Hussars  of  Conflans  covered  themselves 
with  glory.  They  fought  well,  these  Prussians,  and 
eight  thousand  of  them  were  left  upon  the  field.  The 
Emperor  thought  that  he  had  done  with  them,  as  he  sent 
Marshal  Grouchy  with  thirty-two  thousand  men  to  fol- 
low them  up  and  to  prevent  their  interfering  with  his 
plans.  Then  with  nearly  eighty  thousand  men,  he  turned 
upon  these  "Goddam"  Englishmen.  How  much  we  had 
to  avenge  upon  them,  we  Frenchmen — the  guineas  of 
Pitt,  the  hulks  of  Portsmouth,  the  invasion  of  Welling- 
ton, the  perfidious  victories  of  Nelson!  At  last  the  day 
of  punishment  seemed  to  have  arisen. 

Wellington  had  with  him  sixty-seven  thousand  men. 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      211 

but  many  of  them  were  known  to  be  Dutch  and  Belgian, 
who  had  no  great  desire  to  fight  against  us.  Of  good 
troops  he  had  not  fifty  thousand.  Finding  himself  in 
the  presence  of  the  Emperor  in  person  with  eighty  thou- 
sand men,  this  Englishman  was  so  paralysed  with  fear 
that  he  could  neither  move  himself  nor  his  army.  You 
have  seen  the  rabbit  when  the  snake  approaches.  So 
stood  the  English  upon  the  ridge  of  Waterloo.  The 
night  before,  the  Emperor,  who  had  lost  an  aide-de- 
camp at  Ligny,  ordered  me  to  join  his  staff,  and  I  had 
left  my  Hussars  to  the  charge  of  Major  Victor.  I  know 
not  which  of  us  was  the  most  grieved,  they  or  I,  that  I 
should  be  called  away  upon  the  eve  of  battle,  but  an 
order  is  an  order,  and  a  good  soldier  can  but  shrug  his 
shoulders  and  obey.  With  the  Emperor  I  rode  across 
the  front  of  the  enemy's  position  on  the  morning  of  the 
18th,  he  looking  at  them  through  his  glass  and  planning 
which  was  the  shortest  way  to  destroy  them.  Soult  was 
at  his  elbow,  and  Ney  and  Foy  and  others  who  had 
fought  the  English  in  Portugal  and  Spain.  "Have  a 
care.  Sire,"  said  Soult.  "The  English  infantry  is  very 
solid."       '^ 

"You  think   them   good   soldiers  because   they  have 
beaten  jou,"  said  the  Emperor,  and  we  younger  men 


212   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

turned  away  our  faces  and  smiled.  But  Ney  and  Foy 
were  grave  and  serious.  All  the  time  the  English  line, 
chequered  with  red  and  blue  and  dotted  with  batteries, 
was  drawn  up  silent  and  watchful  within  a  long  musket- 
shot  of  us.  On  the  other  side  of  the  shallow  valley  our 
own  people,  having  finished  their  soup,  were  assembling 
for  the  battle.  It  had  rained  very  heavily,  but  at  this 
moment  the  sun  shone  out  and  beat  upon  the  French 
army,  turning  our  brigades  of  cavalry  into  so  many  daz- 
zling rivers  of  steel,  and  twinkling  and  sparkling  on  the 
innumerable  bayonets  of  the  infantry.  At  the  sight  of 
that  splendid  army,  and  the  beauty  and  majesty  of  its 
appearance,  I  could  contain  myself  no  longer,  but,  ris- 
ing in  my  stirrups,  I  waved  my  busby  and  cried,  ''Vive 
VEmpereurl"  a  shout  which  growled  and  roared  and  clat- 
tered from  one  end  of  the  line  to  the  other,  while  the 
horsemen  waved  their  swords  and  the  footmen  held  up 
their  shakos  upon  their  bayonets.  The  English  remained 
petrified  upon  their  ridge.  They  knew  ihat  their  hour 
had  come. 

And  so  it  would  have  come  if  at  tha!:  moment  the  word 
had  been  given  and  the  whole  army  had  been  permitted 
to  advance.  We  had  but  to  fall  upon  them  and  to  sweep 
them  from  the  face  of  the  earth.    To  put  aside  all  ques- 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      213 

tion  of  courage,  we  were  the  more  numerous,  the  older 
soldiers,  and  the  better  led.  But  the  Emperor  desired  to 
do  all  things  in  order,  and  he  waited  until  the  ground 
should  be  drier  and  harder,  so  that  his  artillery  could 
manoeuvre.  So  three  hours  were  wasted,  and  it  was 
eleven  o'clock  before  we  saw  Jerome  Buonaparte's  col- 
umns advance  upon  our  left  and  heard  the  crash  of  the 
guns  which  told  that  the  battle  had  begun.  The  loss  of 
those  three  hours  was  our  destruction.  The  attack  upon 
the  left  was  directed  upon  a  farm-house  which  was  held 
by  the  English  Guards,  and  we  heard  the  three  loud 
shouts  of  apprehension  which  the  defenders  were 
compelled  to  utter.  They  were  still  holding  out,  and 
D'Erlon's  corps  was  advancing  upon  the  right 
to  engage  another  portion  of  the  English  line, 
when  our  attention  was  called  away  from  the  battle 
beneath  our  noses  to  a  distant  portion  of  the  field  of 
action. 

The  Emperor  had  been  looking  through  his  glass  to 
the  extreme  left  of  the  English  line,  and  now  he  turned 
suddenly  to  the  Duke  of  Dalmatia,  or  Soult,  as  we  sol- 
diers preferred  to  call  him. 

"What  is  it,  Marshal?"  said  he. 

We  all  followed  the  direction  of  his  gaze,  some  rais- 


ftU       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

ing  our  glasses,  some  shading  our  eyes.  There  was  a 
thick  wood  over  yonder,  then  a  long,  bare  slope,  and  an- 
other wood  beyond.  Over  this  bare  strip  between  the  two 
Woods  there  lay  something  dark,  like  the  shadow  of  a 
moving  cloud. 

"I  think  that  they  are  cattle.  Sire,"  said  Soult. 

At  that  instant  there  came  a  quick  twinkle  from  amid 
the  dark  shadow. 

"It  is  Grouchy,"  said  the  Emperor,  and  he  lowered 
his  glass.  "They  are  doubly  lost,  these  English.  I  hold 
them  in  the  hollow  of  my  hand.  They  cannot  escape 
me." 

He  looked  round,  and  his  eyes  fell  upon  me. 

"Ah !  here  is  the  prince  of  messengers,"  said  he.  "Are 
you  well  mounted.  Colonel  Gerard  ?" 

I  was  riding  my  little  Violette,  the  pride  of  the  bri- 
gade.    I  said  so. 

"Then  ride  hard  to  Marshal  Grouchy,  whose  troops 
you  see  over  yonder.  Tell  him  that  he  is  to  fall  upon  the 
left  flank  and  rear  of  the  English  while  I  attack  them  in 
front.  Together  we  should  crush  them  and  not  a  man 
escape." 

I  saluted  and  rode  off  without  a  word,  my  heart  danc- 
ing with  joy  that  such  a  mission  should  be  mine.     I 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO  SI  5 
looked  at  that  long,  solid  line  of  red  and  blue  looming 
through  the  smoke  of  the  guns,  and  I  shook  my  fist  at  it 
as  I  went.  "We  shall  crush  them  and  not  a  man  escape." 
They  were  the  Emperor's  words,  and  it  was  I,  Etienne 
Gerard,  who  was  to  turn  them  into  deeds„  I  burned  to 
reach  the  Marshal,  and  for  an  instant  I  thought  of  rid- 
ing through  the  English  left  wing,  as  being  the  shortest 
cut.  I  have  done  bolder  deeds  and  come  out  safely,  but 
I  reflected  that  if  things  went  badly  with  me  and  I  was 
taken  or  shot  the  message  would  be  lost  and  the  plans  of 
the  Emperor  miscarry.  I  passed  in  front  of  the  cavalry, 
therefore,  past  the  Chasseurs,  the  Lancers  of  the  Guard, 
the  Carabineers,  the  Horse  Grenadiers,  and,  lastly,  my 
own  little  rascals,  who  followed  me  wistfully  with  their 
eyes.  Beyond  the  cavalry  the  Old  Guard  was  standing, 
twelve  regiments  of  them,  all  veterans  of  many  battles, 
sombre  and  severe,  in  long  blue  overcoats  and  high  bear- 
skins from  which  the  plumes  had  been  removed.  Each 
bore  within  the  goatskin  knapsack  upon  his  back  the 
blue  and  white  parade  uniform  which  they  would  use  for 
their  entry  into  Brussels  next  day.  As  I  rode  past  them 
I  reflected  that  these  men  had  never  been  beaten,  and  as 
I  looked  at  their  weather-beaten  faces  and  their  stern 
and  silent  bearing,  I  said  to  myself  that  they  never  would 


216       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

be  beaten.  Great  heavens,  how  little  could  I  f  orese*^  what 
a  few  more  hours  w^ould  bring ! 

On  the  right  of  the  Old  Guard  were  the  Young  Guard 
and  the  6th  Corps  of  Lobau,  and  then  I  passed  Jacqui- 
not's  Lancers  and  Marbot's  Hussars,  who  held  the  ex- 
treme flank  of  the  line.  All  these  troops  knew  nothing 
of  the  corps  which  was  coming  toward  them  through  the 
wood,  and  their  attention  was  taken  up  in  watching  the 
battle  which  raged  upon  their  left.  More  than  a  hun-^ 
dred  guns  were  thundering  from  each  side,  and  the  din 
was  so  great  that  of  all  the  battles  which  I  have  fought 
I  cannot  recall  more  than  half-a-dozen  which  were  as 
noisy.  I  looked  back  over  my  shoulder,  and  there  were 
two  brigades  of  Cuirassiers,  English  and  French,  pour- 
ing down  the  hill  together,  with  the  sword-blades  play- 
ing over  them  hke  summer  lightning.  How  I  longed  to 
turn  Violette,  and  to  lead  my  Hussars  into  the  thick  of 
it !  What  a  picture !  Etienne  Gerard  with  his  back  to 
the  battle,  and  a  fine  cavalry  action  raging  behind  him. 
But  duty  is  duty,  so  I  rode  past  Marbot's  vedettes  and 
on  in  the  direction  of  the  wood,  passing  the  village  of 
Frishermont  upon  my  left. 

In  front  of  me  lay  the  great  wood,  called  the  Wood  of 
Paris,  consisting  mostly  of  oak  trees,  with  a  few  narrow: 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO  217 
paths  leading  through  it.  I  halted  and  listened  when  I 
reached  it,  but  out  of  its  gloomy  depths  there  came  no 
blare  of  trumpet,  no  murmur  of  wheels,  no  tramp  of 
horses  to  mark  the  advance  of  that  great  column  which, 
'with  my  own  eyes,  I  had  seen  streaming  toward  it.  The 
battle  roared  behind  me,  but  in  front  all  was  as  silent  as 
that  grave  in  which  so  many  brave  men  would  shortly 
sleep.  The  sunlight  was  cut  oif  by  the  arches  of  leaves 
above  my  head,  and  a  heavy  damp  smell  rose  from  the 
sodden  ground.  For  several  miles  I  galloped  at  such 
a  pace  as  few  riders  would  care  to  go  with  roots  below 
and  branches  above.  Then,  at  last,  for  the  first  time  I 
caught  a  glimpse  of  Grouchy's  advance  guard.  Scat- 
tered parties  of  Hussars  passed  me  on  either  side,  but 
some  distance  off,  among  the  trees.  I  heard  the  beating 
of  a  drum  far  away,  and  the  low,  dull  murmur  which  an 
army  makes  upon  the  march.  Any  moment  I  might 
come  upon  the  staff  and  deliver  my  message  to  Grouchy 
in  person,  for  I  knew  well  that  on  such  a  march  a  Mar- 
shal of  France  would  certainly  ride  with  the  van  of  liis 
army. 

Suddenly  the  trees  thinned  in  front  of  me,  and  I  un- 
derstood with  delight  that  I  was  coming  to  the  end  of 
the  wood,  whence  I  could  see  the  army  and  find  the  Mar- 


218   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

shal.  Where  the  track  comes  out  from  amid  the  trees 
there  is  a  small  cabaret,  where  wood-cutters  and  waggon- 
ers drink  their  wine.  Outside  the  door  of  this  I  reined 
up  my  horse  for  an  instant  while  I  took  in  the  scene  which 
was  before  me.  Some  few  miles  away  I  saw  a  second 
great  forest,  that  of  St.  Lambert,  out  of  which  the  Em- 
peror had  seen  the  troops  advancing.  It  was  easy  to  see, 
however,  why  there  had  been  so  long  a  delay  in  their 
leaving  one  wood  and  reaching  the  other,  because  be- 
tween the  two  ran  the  deep  defile  of  the  Lasnes,  which 
had  to  be  crossed.  Sure  enough,  a  long  column  of  troops 
— horse,  foot,  and  guns — was  streaming  down  one  side 
of  it  and  swarming  up  the  other,  while  the  advance  guard 
was  already  among  the  trees  on  either  side  of  me.  A 
battery  of  Horse  Artillery  was  coming  along  the  road, 
and  I  was  about  to  gallop  up  to  it  and  ask  the  officer  in 
command  if  he  could  tell  me  where  I  should  find  the  Mar- 
shal, when  suddenly  I  observed  that,  though  the  gunners 
were  dressed  in  blue,  they  had  not  the  dolman  trimmed 
with  red  brandenburgs  as  our  own  horse-gunners  wear 
it.  Amazed  at  the  sight,  I  was  looking  at  these  sol- 
diers to  left  and  right  when  a  hand  touched  my  thigh, 
and  there    was   the  landlord,  who  had  rushed  from  his 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSEI^  AT  WATERLOO      219 

"Madman!"  he  cried,  "why  are  you  here?  What  are 
you  doing?" 

"I  am  seeking  Marshal  Grouchy." 

"You  are  in  the  heart  of  the  Prussian  army.  Turn 
and  fly !" 

"Impossible;  this  is  Grouchy's  corps." 

"How  do  you  know?" 

"Because  the  Emperor  has  said  it." 

"Then  the  Emperor  has  made  a  terrible  mistake!  I 
tell  you  that  a  patrol  of  Silesian  Hussars  has  this  instant 
left  me.    Did  you  not  see  them  in  the  wood?" 

"I  saw  Hussars." 

"They  are  the  enemy." 

"Where  is  Grouchy?" 

"He  is  behind.     They  have  passed  him." 

"Then  how  can  I  go  back?  If  I  go  forward  I  may 
see  him  yet.  I  must  obey  my  orders  and  find  him  where- 
ever  he  is." 

The  man  reflected  for  an  instant. 

"Quick!  quick!"  he  cried,  seizing  my  bridle.  "Do 
what  I  say  and  you  may  yet  escape.  They  have  not  ob- 
served you  yet.  Come  with  me  and  I  will  hide  you  until 
they  pass." 

Behind  his  house  there  was  a  low  stable,  and  into  this 


£20   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

he  thrust  Violette.  Then  he  half  led  and  half  dragged 
me  into  the  kitchen  of  the  inn.  It  was  a  bare,  brick- 
floored  room.  A  stout,  red-faced  woman  was  cooking 
cutlets  at  the  fire. 

"What's  the  matter  now.?"  she  asked,  looking  with  a 
frown  from  me  to  the  innkeeper.  "Who  is  this  you  have 
brought  in.?" 

"It  is  a  French  officer,  Marie.  We  cannot  let  the 
Prussians  take  him." 

"Why  not?" 

"Why  not.?  Sacred  name  of  a  dog,  was  I  not  myself 
a  soldier  of  Napoleon?  Did  I  not  win  a  musket  of  hon- 
our among  the  Velites  of  the  Guard?  Shall  I  see  a 
comrade  taken  before  my  eyes?  Marie,  we  must  save 
him."  But  the  lady  looked  at  me  with  most  unfriendly 
eyes. 

"Pierre  Charras,"  she  said,  "you  will  not  rest  until 
you  have  your  house  burned  over  your  head.  Do  you  not 
understand,  you  blockhead,  that  if  you  fought  for  Na- 
poleon it  was  because  Napoleon  ruled  Belgium?  He  does 
so  no  longer.  The  Prussians  are  our  allies  and  this  is 
our  enemy.  I  will  have  no  Frenchman  in  this  house. 
Give  him  up !" 

The  innkeeper  scratched  his  head  and  looked  at  me  in 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      2S1 

despair,  but  it  was  very  evident  to  me  that  it  was  neither 
for  France  nor  for  Belgium  that  this  woman  cared,  but 
that  it  was  the  safety  of  her  own  house  that  was  nearest 
her  heart. 

"Madame,"  said  I,  with  all  the  dignity  and  assurance 
I  could  command,  "the  Emperor  is  defeating  the  Eng- 
lish, and  the  French  army  will  be  here  before  evening. 
If  you  have  used  me  well  you  will  be  rewarded,  and  if 
you  have  denounced  me  you  will  be  punished  and  your 
house  wiU  certainly  be  burned  by  the  provost-martial." 

She  was  shaken  by  this,  and  I  hastened  to  complete  my 
victory  by  other  methods. 

"Surely,"  said  I,  "it  is  impossible  that  anyone  so  beau- 
tiful can  also  be  hard-hearted .''  You  will  not  refuse  me 
the  refuge  which  I  need." 

She  looked  at  my  whiskers  and  I  saw  that  she  was  soft- 
ened. I  took  her  hand,  and  in  two  minutes  we  were  on 
such  terms  that  her  husband  swore  roundly  that  he  would 
give  me  up  himself  if  I  pressed  the  matter  farther. 

"Besides,  the  road  is  full  of  Prussians,"  he  cried. 
"Quick !  quick !  into  the  loft !" 

"Quick !  quick !  into  the  loft !"  echoed  his  wife,  and  to- 
gether they  hurried  me  toward  a  ladder  which  led  to  a 
trap-door  in  the  ceiling.     There  was  loud  knocking  at 


222       THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 
the  door,  so  you  can  think  that  it  was  not  long  before  my 
spurs  went  twinkling  through  the  hole  and  the  board  was 
dropped  behind  me.    An  instant  later  I  heard  the  voices 
of  the  Germans  in  the  rooms  below  me. 

The  place  in  which  I  found  myself  was  a  single  long 
attic,  the  ceiling  of  which  was  formed  by  the  roof  of  the 
house.  It  ran  over  the  whole  of  one  side  of  the  inn,  and 
through  the  cracks  in  the  flooring  I  could  look  down 
either  upon  the  kitchen,  the  sitting-room,  or  the  bar  at 
my  pleasure.  There  were  no  windows,  but  the  place  was 
in  the  last  stage  of  disrepair,  and  several  missing  slates 
upon  the  roof  gave  me  light  and  the  means  of  observa- 
tion. The  place  was  heaped  with  lumber — fodder  at  one 
end  and  a  huge  pile  of  empty  bottles  at  the  other.  There 
was  no  door  or  window  save  the  hole  through  which  I  had 
come  up. 

I  sat  upon  the  heap  of  hay  for  a  few  minutes  to  steady 
myself  and  to  think  out  my  plans.  It  was  very  serious 
that  the  Prussians  should  arrive  upon  the  field  of  battle 
earlier  than  our  reserves,  but  there  appeared  to  be  only 
one  corps  of  them,  and  a  corps  more  or  less  makes  little 
difference  to  such  a  man  as  the  Emperor,  He  could 
afford  to  give  the  English  all  this  and  beat  them  still. 
The  best  way  in  which  I  could  serve  him,  since  Grouchy 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      223 

was  behind,  was  to  wait  here  until  they  were  past,  and 
then  to  resume  my  journey,  to  see  the  Marshal,  and  to 
give  him  his  orders.  If  he  advanced  upon  the  rear  of 
the  English  instead  of  following  the  Prussians  all  would 
be  well.  The  fate  of  France  depended  upon  my  judg- 
ment and  my  nerve.  It  was  not  the  first  time,  my  friends, 
as  you  are  well  aware,  and  you  know  the  reasons  that  I 
had  to  trust  that  neither  nerve  nor  judgment  would  ever 
fail  me.  Certainly,  the  Emperor  had  chosen  the  right 
man  for  his  mission.  "The  prince  of  messengers"  he  had 
called  me.    I  would  earn  my  title. 

It  was  clear  that  I  could  do  nothing  until  the  Prussians 
had  passed,  so  I  spent  my  time  in  observing  them.  I 
have  no  love  for  these  people,  but  I  am  compelled  to  say 
that  they  kept  excellent  discipline,  for  not  a  man  of  them 
entered  the  inn,  though  their  lips  were  caked  with  dust 
and  they  were  ready  to  drop  with  fatigue.  Those  who 
had  knocked  at  the  door  were  bearing  an  insensible  com- 
rade, and  having  left  him  they  returned  at  once  to  the 
ranks.  Several  others  were  carried  in  in  the  same  fash- 
ion and  laid  in  the  kitchen,  while  a  young  surgeon,  little 
more  than  a  boy,  remained  behind  in  charge  of  them. 
Having  observed  them  through  the  cracks  in  the  floor,  I 
next  turned  my  attention  to  the  holes  in  the  roof,  from 


&U      THE  AfiVENTORES  OP  GfittAtlD 

which  I  had  an  excellent  view  of  all  that  was  passing  out- 
side. The  Prussian  corps  was  still  streaming  past.  It 
was  easy  to  see  that  they  had  made  a  terrible  march  and 
had  little  food,  for  the  faces  of  the  men  were  ghastly, 
and  they  were  plastered  from  head  to  foot  with  mud 
from  their  falls  upon  the  foul  and  slippery  roads.  Yet, 
spent  as  they  were,  their  spirit  was  excellent,  and  they 
pushed  and  hauled  at  the  gun-carriages  when  the  Avheels 
sank  up  to  the  axles  in  the  mire,  and  the  weary  horses 
were  floundering  knee-deep  unable  to  draw  them  through. 
The  officers  rode  up  and  down  the  column  encouraging 
the  more  active  with  words  of  praise,  and  the  laggards 
with  blows  from  the  fiat  of  their  swords.  All  the  time 
from  over  the  wood  in  front  of  them  there  came  the  tre- 
mendous roar  of  the  battle,  as  if  all  the  rivers  on  earth 
had  united  in  one  gigantic  cataract,  booming  and  crash- 
ing in  a  mighty  fall.  Like  the  spray  of  the  cataract  was 
the  long  veil  of  smoke  which  rose  high  over  the  trees. 
The  officers  pointed  to  it  with  their  swords,  and  with 
hoarse  cries  from  their  parched  lips  the  mud-stained  men 
pushed  onward  to  the  battle.  For  an  hour  I  watched 
them  pass,  and  I  reflected  that  their  vanguard  must  have 
come  into  touch  with  Marbot's  vedettes  and  that  the  Em- 
peror knew  already  of  their  coming.  "You  are  going 
very  fast  up  the  road,  my  friends,  but  you  will  come 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO  225 
down  it  a  great  deal  faster,"  said  I  to  myself,  and  I  con- 
soled myself  with  the  thought. 

But  an  adventure  came  to  break  the  monotony  of  this 
long  wait.  I  was  seated  beside  my  loophole  and  con- 
gratulating myself  that  the  corps  was  nearly  past,  and 
that  the  road  would  soon  be  clear  for  my  journey,  when 
suddenly  I  heard  a  loud  altercation  break  out  in  French 
in  the  kitchen. 

"You  shall  not  go !"  cried  a  woman's  voice. 

"I  tell  you  that  I  will !"  said  a  man's,  and  there  was  a 
sound  of  scuffling. 

In  an  instant  I  had  my  eye  to  the  crack  in  the  floor. 
There  was  my  stout  lady,  like  a  faithful  watch-dog,  at 
the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  while  the  young  German  sur- 
geon, white  with  anger,  was  endeavouring  to  come  up  it. 
Several  of  the  German  soldiers  who  had  recovered  from 
their  prostration  were  sitting  about  on  the  kitchen  floor 
and  watching  the  quarrel  with  stolid,  but  attentive,  faces. 
The  landlord  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

"There  is  no  liquor  there,"  said  the  woman. 

"I  do  not  want  liquor ;  I  want  hay  or  straw  for  these 
men  to  lie  upon.  Why  should  they  lie  on  the  bricks  when 
there  is  straw  overhead  ?^^ 

"There  is  no  straw." 

"What  is  up  there.?" 


226       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

"Empty  bottles." 

"Nothing  else?" 

"No." 

For  a  moment  it  looked  as  if  the  surgeon  would  aban- 
don his  intention,  but  one  of  the  soldiers  pointed  up  to 
the  ceiling.  I  gathered  from  what  I  could  understand  of 
his  words  that  he  could  see  the  straw  sticking  out  between 
the  planks.  In  vain  the  woman  protested.  Two  of  the 
soldiers  were  able  to  get  upon  their  feet  and  to  drag 
her  aside,  while  the  young  surgeon  ran  up  the  ladder, 
pushed  open  the  trap-door,  and  climbed  into  the  loft. 
As  he  swung  the  door  back  I  slipped  behind  it,  but  as 
luck  would  have  it  he  shut  it  again  behind  him,  and  there 
we  were  left  standing  face  to  face. 

Never  have  I  seen  a  more  astonished  young  man. 

"A  French  officer !"  he  gasped. 

"Hush !"  said  I,  "hush !  Not  a  word  above  a  whisper.'^ 
I  had  drawn  my  sword. 

"I  am  not  a  combatant,"  he  said;  "I  am  a  doctor. 
Why  do  you  threaten  me  with  your  sword  .^^  I  am  not 
armed." 

"I  do  not  wish  to  hurt  you,  but  I  must  protect  my- 
self.   I  am  in  hiding  here." 

"A  spy!" 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      227 

"A  spy  does  not  wear  such  a  uniform  as  this,  nor  do 
you  find  spies  on  the  staff  of  an  army.  I  rode  by  mis- 
take into  the  heart  of  this  Prussian  corps,  and  I  concealed 
myself  here  in  the  hope  of  escaping  when  they  are  past. 
I  will  not  hurt  you  if  you  do  not  hurt  me,  but  if  you  do 
not  swear  that  you  will  be  silent  as  to  my  presence  you 
will  never  go  down  alive  from  this  attic." 

"You  can  put  up  your  sword,  sir,"  said  the  surgeon, 
and  I  saw  a  friendly  twinkle  in  his  eyes.  "I  am  a  Pole 
by  birth,  and  I  have  no  ill-feeling  to  you  or  your  people. 
I  will  do  my  best  for  my  patients,  but  I  will  do  no  more. 
Capturing  Hussars  is  not  one  of  the  duties  of  a  sur- 
geon. With  your  permission  I  will  now  descend  with 
this  truss  of  hay  to  make  a  couch  for  these  poor  fellows 
below." 

I  had  intended  to  exact  an  oath  from  him,  but  it  is  my 
experience  that  if  a  man  will  not  speak  the  truth  he  will 
not  swear  the  truth,  so  I  said  no  more.  The  surgeon 
opened  the  trap-door,  threw  out  enough  hay  for  his  pur- 
pose, and  then  descended  the  ladder,  letting  down  the 
door  behind  him.  I  watched  him  anxiously  when  he  re- 
joined his  patients,  and  so  did  my  good  friend  the  land- 
lady, but  he  said  nothing  and  busied  himself  with  the 
needs  of  his  soldiers. 


228   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

By  this  time  I  was  sure  that  the  last  of  the  army  corps 
was  past,  and  I  went  to  my  loophole  confident  that  I 
should  find  the  coast  clear,  save,  perhaps,  for  a  fev/  strag- 
glers, whom  I  could  disregard.  The  first  corps  was  in- 
deed past,  and  I  could  see  the  last  files  of  the  infantry 
disappearing  into  the  wood;  but  you  can  imagine  my 
disappointment  when  out  of  the  Forest  of  St.  Lambert 
I  saw  a  second  corps  emerging,  as  numerous  as  the  first. 
There  could  be  no  doubt  that  the  whole  Prussian  army, 
which  we  thought  we  had  destroyed  at  Ligny,  was  about 
to  throw  itself  upon  our  right  wing  while  Marshal 
Grouchy  had  been  coaxed  away  upon  some  fool's  errand. 
The  roar  of  guns,  much  nearer  than  before,  told  me  that 
the  Prussian  batteries  which  had  passed  me  were  already 
in  action.  Imagine  my  terrible  position!  Hour  after 
hour  was  passing ;  the  sun  was  sinking  toward  the  west. 
And  yet  this  cursed  inn,  in  which  I  lay  hid,  was  like  a  lit- 
tle island  amid  a  rushing  stream  of  furious  Prussians. 
It  was  all  important  that  I  should  reach  Marshal 
Grouchy,  and  yet  I  could  not  show  my  nose  without  being 
made  prisoner.  You  can  think  how  I  cursed  and  tore 
my  hair.  How  little  do  we  know  what  is  in  store  for  us ! 
Even  while  I  raged  against  my  ill-fortune,  that  same  for- 
tune was  reserving  me  for  a  far  higher  task  than  to  carry 


MOW  HE  SOttE  IIIMSELE  AT  WATERLOO     m 

a  message  to  Grouchy — a  task  which  could  not  have  been 
mine  had  I  not  been  held  tight  in  that  little  inn  on  the 
edge  of  the  Forest  of  Paris. 

Two  Prussian  corps  had  passed  and  a  third  was  com- 
ing up,  when  I  heard  a  great  fuss  and  the  sound 
of  several  voices  in  the  sitting-room.  By  altering 
my  position  I  was  able  to  look  down  and  see  what  was 
going  on. 

Two  Prussian  generals  were  beneath  me,  their  heads 
bent  over  a  map  which  lay  upon  the  table.  Several  aides- 
de-camp  and  staff  officers  stood  round  in  silence.  Of  the 
two  generals,  one  was  a  fierce  old  man,  white-haired  and 
wrinkled,  with  a  ragged,  grizzled  moustache  and  a  voice 
like  the  bark  of  a  hound.  The  other  was  younger,  but 
long-faced  and  solemn.  He  measured  distances  upon 
the  map  with  the  air  of  a  student,  while  his  companion 
stamped  and  fumed  and  cursed  like  a  corporal  of  Hus- 
sars. It  was  strange  to  see  the  old  man  so  fiery  and  the 
young  one  so  reserved.  I  could  not  understand  all  that 
they  said,  but  I  was  very  sure  about  their  general  mean- 
ing. 

"I  tell  you  we  must  push  on  and  ever  on !"  cried  the 
old  fellow,  with  a  furious  German  oath.  "I  promised 
Wellington  that  I  would  be  there  with  the  whole  army 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

even  if  I  had  to  be  strapped  to  my  horse.  Billow's  corps 
is  in  action,  and  Ziethen's  shall  support  it  with  every  man 
and  gun.    Forward,  Gneisenau,  forward !" 

The  other  shook  his  head. 

"You  must  remember,  your  Excellency,  that  if  the 
English  are  beaten  they  will  make  for  the  coast.  What 
will  your  position  be  then,  with  Grouchy  between  you 
and  the  Rhine?" 

"We  shall  beat  them,  Gneisenau ;  the  Duke  and  I  will 
grind  them  to  powder  between  us.  Push  on,  I  say  !  The 
whole  war  will  be  ended  in  one  blow.  Bring  Pirsch  up, 
and  we  can  throw  sixty  thousand  men  into  the  scale 
while  Thielmann  holds  Grouchy  beyond  Wavre." 

Gneisenau  shrugged  his  shoulders,  but  at  that  instant 
an  orderly  appeared  at  the  door. 

"An  aide-de-camp  from  the  Duke  of  Wellington," 
said  he. 

"Ha,  ha !"  cried  the  old  man ;  "let  us  hear  what  he  has 
to  say!" 

An  English  officer,  with  mud  and  blood  all  over  his 
scarlet  jacket,  staggered  into  the  room.  A  crimson- 
stained  handkerchief  was  knotted  round  his  arm,  and  he 
held  the  table  to  keep  himself  from  falling. 

"My  message  is  to  Marshal  Blucher,"  said  he. 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  AVATERLOO      231 

"I  am  Marshal  Blucher.  Go  on !  go  on !"  cried  the  im- 
patient old  man. 

"The  Duke  bade  me  to  tell  you,  sir,  that  the  British 
Armj^  can  hold  its  own  and  that  he  has  no  fears  for  the 
result.  The  French  cavalry  has  been  destroyed,  two  of 
their  divisions  of  infantry  have  ceased  to  exist,  and  only 
the  Guard  is  in  reserve.  If  you  give  us  a  vigorous  sup- 
port the  defeat  will  be  changed  to  absolute  rout  and — " 
His  knees  gave  way  under  him  and  he  fell  in  a  heap  upon 
the  floor. 

"Enough !  enough !"  cried  Blucher.  "Gneisenau,  send 
an  aide-de-camp  to  Wellington  and  tell  him  to  rely  upon 
me  to  the  full.  Come  on,  gentlemen,  we  have  our  work 
to  do !"  He  bustled  eagerly  out  of  the  room  with  all  his 
staff  clanking  behind  him,  while  two  orderlies  carried  the 
English  messenger  to  the  care  of  the  surgeon. 

Gneisenau,  the  Chief  of  the  Staff,  had  lingered  behind 
for  an  instant,  and  he  laid  his  hand  upon  one  of  the  aides- 
de-camp.  The  fellow  had  attracted  my  attention,  for  I 
have  always  a  quick  eye  for  a  fine  man.  He  was  tall  and 
slender,  the  very  model  of  a  horseman ;  indeed,  there  was 
something  in  his  appearance  which  made  it  not  unlike 
my  own.  His  face  was  dark  and  as  keen  as  that  of  a 
hawk,  with  fierce  black  eyes  under  thick,  shaggy  brows, 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

and  a  moustache  which  would  have  put  him  in  the  crack 
squadron  of  mj  Hussars.  He  wore  a  green  coat  with 
white  facings,  and  a  horse-hair  helmet — a  Dragoon,  as  I 
conjectured,  and  as  dashing  a  cavalier  as  one  would  wish 
to  have  at  the  end  of  one's  sword-point. 

"A  word  with  you.  Count  Stein,"  said  Gneisenau.  "If 
the  enemy  are  .routed,  but  if  the  Emperor  escapes,  he  will 
rally  another  army,  and  all  will  have  to  be  done  again. 
But  if  we  can  get  the  Emperor,  then  the  war  is  indeed 
ended.  It  is  worth  a  great  effort  and  a  great  risk  for 
such  an  object  as  that." 

The  young  Dragoon  said  nothing,  but  he  listened  at- 
tentively. 

"Suppose  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  words  should 
prove  to  be  correct,  and  the  French  army  should  be 
driven  in  utter  rout  from  the  field,  the  Emperor  will  cer- 
tainly take  the  road  back  through  Genappe  and  Charle- 
roi  as  being  the  shortest  to  the  frontier.  We  can  imagine 
that  his  horses  will  be  fleet,  and  that  the  fugitives  will 
make  way  for  him.  Our  cavalry  will  follow  the  rear  of 
the  beaten  army,  but  the  Emperor  will  be  far  away  at  the 
front  of  the  throng." 

The  young  Dragoon  inclined  his  head. 

"To  you,  Count  Stein,  I  commit  the  Emperor.     If 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      233 

you  take  him  your  name  will  live  in  history.  You  have 
the  reputation  of  being  the  hardest  rider  in  our  army. 
Do  you  choose  such  comrades  as  you  may  select — ^ten  or 
a  dozen  should  be  enough.  You  are  not  to  engage  in  the 
battle,  nor  are  you  to  follow  the  general  pursuit,  but  you 
are  to  ride  clear  of  the  crowd,  reserving  your  energies 
for  a  nobler  end.    Do  you  understand  me?" 

Again  the  Dragoon  inclined  his  head.  This  silence 
impressed  me.  I  felt  that  he  was  indeed  a  dangerous 
man. 

"Then  I  leave  the  details  in  your  own  hands.  Strike 
at  no  one  except  the  highest.  You  cannot  mistake  the 
Imperial  carriage,  nor  can  you  fail  to  recognise  the  fig- 
ure of  the  Emperor.  Now  I  must  follow  the  Marshal. 
Adieu !  If  ever  I  see  you  again  I  trust  that  it  will  be  to 
congratulate  you  upon  a  deed  which  will  ring  through 
Europe." 

The  Dragoon  saluted  and  Gneisenau  hurried  from  the 
room.  The  young  officer  stood  in  deep  thought  for  a 
few  moments.  Then  he  followed  the  Chief  of  the  Staff. 
I  looked  with  curiosity  from  my  loophole  to  see  what 
his  next  proceeding  would  be.  His  horse,  a  fine,  strong 
chestnut  with  two  white  stockings,  was  fastened  to  the 
rail  of  the  inn.    He  sprang  into  the  saddle,  and,  riding 


234   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

to  intercept  a  column  of  cavalry  which  was  passing,  he 
spoke  to  an  officer  at  the  head  of  the  leading  regiment. 
Presently  after  some  talk  I  saw  two  Hussars — it  was  a 
Hussar  regiment — drop  out  of  the  ranks  and  take  up 
their  position  beside  Count  Stein.  The  next  regiment 
was  also  stopped,  and  two  Lancers  were  added  to  his 
escort.  The  next  furnished  him  with  two  Dragoons  and 
the  next  with  two  Cuirassiers.  Then  he  drew  his  little 
group  of  horsemen  aside  and  he  gathered  them  round 
him,  explaining  to  them  what  they  had  to  do.  Finally 
the  nine  soldiers  rode  off  together  and  disappeared  into 
the  Wood  of  Paris. 

I  need  not  tell  you,  my  friends,  what  all  this  por- 
tended. Indeed,  he  had  acted  exactly  as  I  should  have 
done  in  his  place.  From  each  colonel  he  had  demanded 
the  two  best  horsemen  in  the  regiment,  and  so  he  had  as- 
sembled a  band  who  might  expect  to  catch  whatever  they 
should  follow.  Heaven  help  the  Emperor  if,  without  an 
escort,  he  should  find  them  on  his  track ! 

And  I,  dear  friends — imagine  the  fever,  the  ferment, 
the  madness  of  my  mind !  All  thought  of  Grouchy  had 
passed  away.  No  guns  were  to  be  heard  to  the  east.  He 
could  not  be  near.  If  he  should  come  up  he  would  not 
now  be  in  time  to  alter  the  event  of  the  day.    The  sun  was 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      235 

already  low  iti  the  sky  and  there  could  not  be  more  than 
two  or  three  hours  of  daylight.  My  mission  might  be 
dismissed  as  useless.  But  here  was  another  mission,  more 
pressing,  more  immediate,  a  mission  which  meant  the 
safety,  and  perhaps  the  life,  of  the  Emperor.  At  all 
costs,  through  every  danger,  I  must  get  back  to  his  side. 
But  how  was  I  to  do  it?  The  whole  Prussian  army  was 
now  between  me  and  the  French  lines.  They  blocked 
every  road,  but  they  could  not  block  the  path  of  duty 
when  Etienne  Gerard  sees  it  lie  before  him.  I  could  not 
wait  longer.    I  must  be  gone. 

There  was  but  the  one  opening  to  the  loft,  and  so  it 
was  only  down  the  ladder  that  I  could  descend.  I  looked 
into  the  kitchen  and  I  found  that  the  young  surgeon  was 
still  there.  In  a  chair  sat  the  wounded  English  aide-de- 
camp, and  on  the  straw  lay  two  Prussian  soldiers  in  the 
last  stage  of  exhaustion.  The  others  had  all  recovered 
and  been  sent  on.  These  were  my  enemies,  and  I  must 
pass  through  them  in  order  to  gain  my  horse.  From  the 
surgeon  I  had  nothing  to  fear;  the  Englishman  was 
wounded,  and  his  sword  stood  with  his  cloak  in  a  corner ; 
the  two  Germans  were  half  insensible,  and  their  mus- 
kets were  not  beside  them.  What  could  be  simpler?  I 
opened   the   trap-door,  slipped   down  the   ladder,   and 


236       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 
appeared  in  the  midst  of  them,  my  sword  drawn  in  my, 
hand. 

What  a  picture  of  surprise !  The  surgeon,  of  course, 
knew  all,  but  to  the  Englishman  and  the  two  Germans 
it  must  have  seemed  that  the  god  of  war  in  person  had 
descended  from  the  skies.  With  my  appearance,  with 
my  figure,  with  my  silver  and  grey  uniform,  and  with 
that  gleaming  sword  in  my  hand,  I  must  indeed  have 
been  a  sight  worth  seeing.  The  two  Germans  lay  petri- 
fied with  staring  eyes.  The  English  officer  half  rose,  but 
sat  down  again  from  weakness,  his  mouth  open  and  his 
hand  on  the  back  of  his  chair. 

"What  the  deuce!"  he  kept  on  repeating,  "what  the    , 
deuce !" 

"Pray  do  not  move,"  said  I ;  "I  will  hurt  no  one,  but 
woe  to  the  man  who  lays  hands  upon  me  to  stop  me.  You 
have  nothing  to  fear  if  you  leave  me  alone,  and  nothing 
to  hope  if  you  try  to  hinder  me.  I  am  Colonel  Etienne 
Gerard,  of  the  Hussars  of  Conflans." 

"The  deuce !"  said  the  Englishman.  "You  are  the  man 
that  killed  the  fox."  A  terrible  scowl  had  darkened  his 
face.  The  jealousy  of  sportsmen  is  a  base  passion.  He 
hated  me,  this  Englishman,  because  I  had  been  before 
him  in  transfixing  the  animal.     How  different  are  our 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      237 

natures !  Had  I  seen  him  do  such  a  deed  I  would  have 
embraced  him  with  cries  of  joy.  But  there  was  no  time 
for  argument. 

"I  regret  it,  sir,"  said  I ;  "but  you  have  a  cloak  here 
and  I  must  take  it." 

He  tried  to  rise  from  his  chair  and  reach  his  sword, 
but  I  got  between  him  and  the  corner  where  it  lay. 

*'If  there  is  anything  in  the  pockets " 

''  A  case,""  said  he. 

"  I  would  not  rob  you,*"  said  I ;  and  raising  the  cloak 
I  took  from  the  pockets  a  silver  flask,  a  square  wooden 
case  and  a  field-glass.  All  these  I  handed  to  him.  The 
wretch  opened  the  case,  took  out  a  pistol,  and  pointed  it 
straight  at  my  head. 

*'Now,  my  fine  fellow,"  said  he,  "put  down  your  sword 
and  give  yourself  up." 

I  was  so  astounded  at  this  infamous  action  that  I  stood 
petrified  before  him.  I  tried  to  speak  to  him  of  honour 
and  gratitude,  but  I  saw  his  eyes  fix  and  harden  over  the 
pistol. 

"Enough  talk !"  said  he.     "Drop  it !" 

Could  I  endure  such  a  humiliation.?  Death  were  bet- 
ter than  to  be  disarmed  in  such  a  fashion.  The  word 
"Fire !"  was  on  my  Hps  when  in  an  instant  the  EngHsh- 


288   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

man  vanished  from  before  my  face,  and  in  his  place  was 
a  great  pile  of  hay,  with  a  red-coated  arm  and  two  Hes- 
sian boots  waving  and  kicking  in  the  heart  of  it.  Oh,  the 
gallant  landlady!  It  was  my  wliiskers  that  had  saved 
me. 

"Fly,  soldier,  fly!"  she  cried,  and  she  heaped  fresh 
trusses  of  hay  from  the  floor  on  to  the  struggling  Eng- 
lishman. In  an  instant  I  was  out  in  the  courtyard,  had 
led  Violette  from  her  stable,  and  was  on  her  back.  A  pis- 
tol bullet  whizzed  past  my  shoulder  from  the  window, 
and  I  saw  a  furious  face  looking  out  at  me.  I  smiled  my 
contempt  and  spurred  out  into  the  road.  The  last  of  the 
Prussians  had  passed,  and  both  my  road  and  my  duty 
lay  clear  before  me.  If  France  won,  all  was  well.  If 
France  lost,  then  on  me  and  on  my  little  mare  depended 
that  which  was  more  than  victory  or  defeat — the  safety 
and  the  life  of  the  Emperor.  "On,  Etienne,  on !"  I  cried. 
"Of  all  your  noble  exploits,  the  greatest,  even  if  it  be  the 
last,  lies  now  before  you  I" 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      239 


n.   THE  STORY  OF  THE  NINE  PRUSSIAN   HORSEMEN 

I  told  you  when  last  we  met,  my  friends,  of  the  important 
mission  from  the  Emperor  to  Marshal  Grouchy,  which 
failed  through  no  fault  of  my  own,  and  I  described  to 
you  how  during  a  long  afternoon  I  was  shut  up  in  the 
attic  of  a  country  inn,  and  was  prevented  from  coming 
out  because  the  Prussians  were  all  around  me.  You  will 
remember  also  how  I  overheard  the  Chief  of  the  Prussian 
Staff  give  his  instructions  to  Count  Stein,  and  so  learned 
the  dangerous  plan  which  was  on  foot  to  kill  or  capture 
the  Emperor  in  the  event  of  a  French  defeat.  At  first 
I  could  not  have  believed  in  such  a  thing,  but  since  the 
guns  had  thundered  all  day,  and  since  the  sound  had 
made  no  advance  in  my  direction,  it  was  evident  that  the 
English  had  at  least  held  their  own  and  beaten  off  all 
our  attacks. 

I  have  said  that  it  was  a  fight  that  day  between  the 
soul  of  France  and  the  beef  of  England,  but  it  must  be 
confessed  that  we  found  the  beef  was  very  tough.  It 
was  clear  that  if  the  Emperor  could  not  defeat  the  Eng- 
lish when  alone,  then  it  might,  indeed,  go  hard  with  him 


S40   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

now  that  sixty  thousand  of  these  cursed  Prussians  were 
swarming  on  his  flank.  In  any  case,  with  this  secret  in 
my  possession,  my  place  was  by  his  side. 

I  had  made  my  way  out  of  the  inn  in  the  dashing 
manner  which  I  have  described  to  you  when  last  we  met, 
and  I  left  the  English  aide-de-camp  shaking  his  foolish 
fist  out  of  the  window.  I  could  not  but  laugh  as  I  looked 
back  at  him,  for  his  angry  red  face  was  framed  and 
frilled  with  hay.  Once  out  on  the  road  I  stood  erect  in 
my  stirrups,  and  I  put  on  the  handsome  black  riding- 
coat,  lined  with  red,  which  had  belonged  to  him.  It  fell 
to  the  top  of  my  high  boots,  and  covered  my  tell-tale 
uniform  completely.  As  to  my  busby,  there  are  many 
such  in  the  German  service,  and  there  was  no  reason  why 
it  should  attract  attention.  So  long  as  no  one  spoke  to 
me  there  was  no  reason  why  I  should  not  ride  through 
the  whole  of  the  Prussian  army;  but  though  I  under- 
stood German,  for  I  had  many  friends  among  the  Ger- 
man ladies  during  the  pleasant  years  that  I  fought  all 
over  that  country,  still  I  spoke  it  with  a  pretty  Parisian 
accent  which  could  not  be  confounded  with  their  rough, 
unmusical  speech.  I  knew  that  this  quality  of  my  accent 
would  attract  attention,  but  I  could  only  hope  and  pray 
that  I  would  be  permitted  to  go  my  way  in  silence. 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      Ml 

The  Forest  of  Paris  was  so  large  that  it  was  useless 
to  think  of  going  round  it,  and  so  I  took  my  courage  in 
both  hands  and  galloped  on  down  the  road  in  the  track 
of  the  Prussian  army.  It  was  not  hard  to  trace  it,  for 
it  was  rutted  two  feet  deep  by  the  gun-wheels  and  the 
caissons.  Soon  I  found  a  fringe  of  wounded  men,  Prus- 
sians and  French,  on  each  side  of  it,  where  Billow's  ad- 
vance had  come  into  touch  with  Marbot's  Hussars.  One 
old  man  with  a  long  white  beard,  a  surgeon,  I  suppose, 
shouted  at  me,  and  ran  after  me  still  shouting,  but  I 
never  turned  my  head  and  took  no  notice  of  him  save  to 
spur  on  faster.  I  heard  his  shouts  long  after  I  had  lost 
sight  of  him  among  the  trees. 

Presently  I  came  up  with  the  Prussian  reserves,  rhe 
infantry  were  leaning  on  their  muskets  or  lying  ex- 
hausted on  the  wet  ground,  and  the  officers  stood  in 
groups  listening  to  the  mighty  roar  of  the  battle  and 
discussing  the  reports  which  came  from  the  front.  I 
hurried  past  at  the  top  of  my  speed,  but  one  of  them 
rushed  out  and  stood  in  my  path  with  his  hand  up  as  a 
signal  to  me  to  stop.  Five  thousand  Prussian  eyes  were 
turned  upon  me.  There  was  a  moment !  You  turn  pale, 
my  friends,  at  the  thought  of  it.  Think  how  every  hair 
upon  me  stood  on  end.    But  never  for  one  instant  did  my 


242   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

wits  or  my  courage  desert  me.  "General  Blucher!"  I 
cried.  Was  it  not  my  guardian  angel  who  whispered 
the  words  in  my  ear.''  The  Prussian  sprang  from  my 
path,  saluted,  and  pointed  forward.  They  are  well  dis- 
ciplined, these  Prussians,  and  who  was  he  that  he  should 
dare  to  stop  the  officer  who  bore  a  message  to  the  general  ? 
It  was  a  talisman  that  would  pass  me  out  of  every  dan- 
ger, and  my  heart  sang  within  me  at  the  thought.  So 
elated  was  I  that  I  no  longer  waited  to  be  asked,  but  as 
I  rode  through  the  army  I  shouted  to  right  and  left, 
"General  Blucher!  General  Blucher!"  and  every  man 
pointed  me  onward  and  cleared  a  path  to  let  me  pass. 
There  are  times  when  the  most  supreme  impudence  is  the 
highest  wisdom.  But  discretion  must  also  be  used,  and  I 
must  admit  that  I  became  indiscreet.  For  as  I  rode  upon 
my  way,  ever  nearer  to  the  fighting  line,  a  Prussian  officer 
of  Uhlans  gripped  my  bridle  and  pointed  to  a  group  of 
men  who  stood  near  a  burning  farm.  "There  is  Marshal 
Blucher.  Deliver  your  message!"  said  he,  and  sure 
enough,  my  terrible  old  grey-whiskered  veteran  was  there 
within  a  pistol-shot,  his  eyes  turned  in  my  direction. 

But  the  good  guardian  angel  did  not  desert  me. 
Quick  as  a  flash  there  came  into  my  memory  the  name 
of  the  general  who  commanded  the  advance  of  the  Prus- 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIIVISELF  AT  WATERLOO      MS 

sians.  "General  Biilow !"  I  cried.  The  Uhlan  let  go  my 
bridle.  "General  Biilow!  General  Biilow!"  I  shouted, 
as  every  stride  of  the  dear  little  mare  took  me  nearer  my 
own  people.  Through  the  burning  village  of  Planchenoit 
I  galloped,  spurred  my  way  between  two  columns  of 
Prussian  infantry,  sprang  over  a  hedge,  cut  down  a 
Silesian  Hussar  who  flung  himself  before  me,  and  an  in- 
stant afterward,  with  my  coat  flying  open  to  show  the 
uniform  below,  I  passed  through  the  open  files  of  the 
tenth  of  the  line,  and  was  back  in  the  heart  of  Lobau's 
corps  once  more.  Outnumbered  and  outflanked,  they 
were  being  slowly  driven  in  by  the  pressure  of  the  Prus- 
sian advance.  I  galloped  onward,  anxious  only  to  find 
myself  by  the  Emperor's  side.  ; 

But  a  sight  lay  before  me  which  held  me  fast  as 
though  I  had  been  turned  into  some  noble  equestrian 
statue.  I  could  not  move,  I  could  scarce  breathe,  as  I 
gazed  upon  it.  There  was  a  mound  over  which  my  path 
lay,  and  as  I  came  out  on  the  top  of  it  1  looked  down 
the  long,  shallow  valley  of  Waterloo.  I  had  left  it  with 
two  great  armies  on  either  side  and  a  clear  field  between 
them.  Now  there  were  but  long,  ragged  fringes  of 
broken  and  exhausted  regiments  upon  the  two  ridges,  but 
a  real  army  of  dead  and  wounded  lay  between.    For  two 


244   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

miles  in  length  and  half  a  mile  across  the  ground  was, 
strewed  and  heaped  with  them.  But  slaughter  was  no 
new  sight  to  me,  and  it  was  not  that  which  held  me  spell- 
bound. It  was  that  up  the  long  slope  of  the  British  posi- 
tion was  moving  a  walking  forest — black,  tossing,  wav- 
ing, unbroken.  Did  I  not  know  the  bearskins  of  the 
Guard  .f^  And  did  I  not  also  know,  did  not  my  soldier's 
instinct  tell  me,  that  it  was  the  last  reserve  of  France; 
that  the  Emperor,  like  a  desperate  gamester,  was  staking 
all  upon  his  last  card?  Up  they  went  and  up — grand, 
solid,  unbreakable,  scourged  with  musketry,  riddled  with 
grape,  flowing  onward  in  a  black,  heavy  tide,  which 
lapped  over  the  British  batteries.  With  my  glass  I  could 
see  the  English  gunners  throw  themselves  under  their 
pieces  or  run  to  the  rear.  On  rolled  the  crest  of  the  bear- 
skins, and  then,  with  a  crash  which  was  swept  across  to 
my  ears,  they  met  the  British  infantry.  A  minute  passed, 
and  another,  and  another.  My  heart  was  in  my  mouth. 
They  swayed  back  and  forward;  they  no  longer  ad- 
vanced; they  were  held.  Great  Heaven!  was  it  possible 
that  they  were  breaking  .^^  One  black  dot  ran  down  the 
hill,  then  two,  then  four,  then  ten,  then  a  great,  scattered, 
struggling  mass,  halting,  breaking,  halting,  and  at  last 
shredding   out   and  rushing  madly   downward.      "The 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      245 

Guard  is  beaten!  The  Guard  is  beaten!"  From  all 
around  me  I  heard  the  cry.  Along  the  whole  line  the  in- 
fantry turned  their  faces  and  the  gunners  flinched  from 
their  guns. 

"The  Old  Guard  is  beaten!  The  Guard  retreats!"  An 
officer  with  a  livid  face  passed  me  yelling  out  these  words 
of  woe.  "Save  yourselves!  Save  yourselves!  You  are 
betrayed!"  cried  another.  "Save  yourselves!  Save 
yourselves !"  Men  were  rushing  madly  to  the  rear,  blun- 
dering and  jumping  like  frightened  sheep.  Cries  and 
screams  rose  from  all  around  me.  And  at  that  moment, 
as  I  looked  at  the  British  position,  I  saw  what  I  can  never 
forget.  A  single  horseman  stood  out  black  and  clear 
upon  the  ridge  against  the  last  red  angry  glow  of  the 
setting  sun.  So  dark,  so  motionless,  against  that  grim 
light,  he  might  have  been  the  very  spirit  of  Battle  brood- 
ing over  that  terrible  valley.  As  I  gazed,  he  raised  his 
hat  high  in  the  air,  and  at  the  signal,  with  a  low,  deep 
roar  like  a  breaking  wave,  the  whole  British  army  flooded 
over  their  ridge  and  came  rolling  down  into  the  valley. 
Long  steel-fringed  lines  of  red  and  blue,  sweeping  waves 
of  cavalry,  horse  batteries  rattling  and  bounding — down 
they  came  on  to  our  crumbling  ranks.  It  was  over.  A 
yell  of  agony,  the  agony  of  brave  men  who  see  no  hope. 


S46   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

rose  from  one  flank  to  the  other,  and  in  an  instant  the 
whole  of  that  noble  army  was  swept  in  a  wild,  terror- 
stricken  crowd  from  the  field.  Even  now,  dear  friends, 
I  cannot,  as  you  see,  speak  of  that  dreadful  moment  with 
a  dry  eye  or  with  a  steady  voice. 

At  first  I  was  carried  away  in  that  wild  rush,  whirled 
off  like  a  straw  in  a  flooded  gutter.  But,  suddenly,  what 
should  I  see  amongst  the  mixed  regiments  in  front  of  me 
but  a  group  of  stem  horsemen,  in  silver  and  grey,  with 
a  broken  and  tattered  standard  held  aloft  in  the  heart 
of  them !  Not  all  the  might  of  England  and  of  Prussia 
could  break  the  Hussars  of  Conflans.  But  when  I  joined 
them  it  made  my  heart  bleed  to  see  them.  The  major, 
seven  captains,  and  five  hundred  men  were  left  upon  the 
field.  Young  Captain  Sabbatier  was  in  command,  and 
when  I  asked  him  where  were  the  five  missing  squadrons 
he  pointed  back  and  answered :  "You  will  find  them  round 
one  of  those  British  squares."  Men  and  horses  were  at 
their  last  gasp,  caked  with  sweat  and  dirt,  their  black 
tongues  hanging  out  from  their  lips;  but  it  made  me 
thrill  with  pride  to  see  how  that  shattered  remnant  still 
rode  knee  to  knee,  with  every  man,  from  the  boy  trum- 
peter to  the  farrier-sergeant,  in  his  own  proper  place. 
Would  that  I  could  have  brought  them  on  with  me  as  an 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      24T 

escort  for  the  Emperor!  In  the  heart  of  the  Hussars 
of  Conflans  he  would  be  safe  indeed.  But  the  horses 
were  too  spent  to  trot.  I  left  them  behind  me  with  orders 
to  rally  upon  the  farm-house  of  St.  Aunay,  where  we  had 
camped  two  nights  before.  For  my  own  part,  I  forced 
my  horse  through  the  throng  in  search  of  the  Emperor. 
There  were  things  which  I  saw  then,  as  I  pressed 
through  that  dreadful  crowd,  which  can  never  be  ban- 
ished from  my  mind.  In  evil  dreams  there  comes  back  to 
me  the  memory  of  that  flowing  stream  of  livid,  staring, 
screaming  faces  upon  which  I  looked  down.  It  was  a 
nightmare.  In  victory  one  does  not  understand  the  hor- 
ror of  war.  It  is  only  in  the  cold  chill  of  defeat  that  it 
is  brought  home  to  j'^ou.  I  remember  an  old  Grenadier 
of  the  Guard  lying  at  the  side  of  the  road  with  his  broken 
leg  doubled  at  a  right  angle.  "Comrades,  comrades, 
keep  off  my  leg!"  he  cried,  but  they  tripped  and  stum^ 
bled  over  him  all  the  same.  In  front  of  me  rode  a  Lancer 
officer  without  his  coat.  His  arm  had  just  been  taken 
off  in  the  ambulance.  The  bandages  had  fallen.  It  was 
horrible.  Two  gunners  tried  to  drive  through  with  their 
gun.  A  Chasseur  raised  his  musket  and  shot  one  of  them 
through  the  head.  I  saw  a  major  of  Cuirassiers  draw 
his  two  holster  pistols  and  shoot  first  his  horse  and  then 


^48       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

himself.  Beside  the  road  a  man  in  a  blue  coat  was  rag- 
ing and  raving  like  a  madman.  His  face  was  black  with 
powder,  his  clothes  were  torn,  one  epaulette  was  gone, 
the  other  hung  dangling  over  his  breast.  Only  when 
I  came  close  to  him  did  I  recognise  that  it  was  Marshal 
Ney.  He  howled  at  the  flying  troops  and  his  voice  was 
hardly  human.  Then  he  raised  the  stump  of  his  sword — 
it  was  broken  three  inches  from  the  hilt.  "Come  and  see 
how  a  Marshal  of  France  can  die!"  he  cried.  Gladly 
would  I  have  gone  with  him,  but  my  duty  lay  elsewhere. 
He  did  not,  as  you  know,  find  the  death  he  sought,  but 
he  met  it  a  few  weeks  late^  in  cold  blood  at  the  hands  of 
his  enemies. 

There  is  an  old  proverb  that  in  attack  the  French  are 
more  than  men,  in  defeat  they  are  less  than  women.  I 
knew  that  it  was  true  that  day.  But  even  in  that  rout 
I  saw  things  which  I  can  tell  with  pride.  Through  the 
fields  which  skirt  the  road  moved  Cambronne's  three  re- 
serve battalions  of  the  Guard,  the  cream  of  our  army. 
They  walked  slowly  in  square,  their  colours  waving  over 
the  sombre  line  of  the  bearskins.  All  round  them  raged 
the  English  cavalry  and  the  black  Lancers  of  Brunswick, 
wave  after  wave  thundering  up,  breaking  with  a  crash, 
and  recoiling  in  ruin.    When  last  I  saw  them,  the  English 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      249 

guns,  six  at  a  time,  were  smashing  grape-shot  through 
their  ranks  and  the  Enghsh  infantry  were  closing  in  upon 
three  sides  and  pouring  volleys  into  them ;  but  still,  like 
a  noble  lion  with  fierce  hounds  clinging  to  its  flanks,  the 
glorious  remnant  of  the  Guard,  marching  slowly,  halt- 
ing, closing  up,  dressing,  moved  majestically  from  their 
last  battle.  Behind  them  the  Guard's  battery  of  twelve- 
pounders  was  drawn  up  upon  the  ridge.  Every  gunner 
was  in  his  place,  but  no  gun  fired.  "Why  do  you  not 
fire.?"  I  asked  the  colonel  as  I  passed.  "Our  powder  is 
finished."  "Then  why  not  retire.?"  "Our  appearance 
may  hold  them  back  for  a  little.  We  must  give  the 
Emperor  time  to  escape."  Such  were  the  soldiers  of 
France. 

Behind  this  screen  of  brave  men  the  others  took  their 
breath,  and  then  went  on  in  less  desperate  fashion.  They 
had  broken  away  from  the  road,  and  all  over  the  country- 
side in  the  twilight  I  could  see  the  timid,  scattered, 
frightened  crowd  who  ten  hours  before  had  formed  the 
finest  army  that  ever  went  down  to  battle.  I  with  my 
splendid  mare  was  soon  able  to  get  clear  of  the  throng, 
and  just  after  I  passed  Genappe  I  overtook  the  Emperor 
with  the  remains  of  his  Staff.  Soult  was  with  him  still, 
and  so  were  Drouot,  Lobau,  and  Bertrand,  with  Bye  Chas- 


«60       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERAKD 

seurs  of  the  Guard,  their  horses  hardly  able  to  move. 
The  night  was  falling,  and  the  Emperor's  haggard  face 
gleamed  white  through  the  gloom  as  he  turned  it  toward 
me. 

"Who  is  that?"  he  asked. 
"It  is  Colonel  Gerard,"  said  Soult. 
"Have  you  seen  Marshal  Grouchy?" 
"No,  Sire.    The  Prussians  were  between." 
"It  does  not  matter.     Nothing  matters  now.     Soult, 
I  will  go  back." 

He  tried  to  turn  his  horse,  but  Bertrand  seized  his 
bridle.  "Ah,  Sire,"  said  Soult,  "the  enemy  has  had  good 
fortune  enough  already."  They  forced  him  on  among 
them.  He  rode  in  silence  with  his  chin  upon  his  breast, 
the  greatest  and  the  saddest  of  men.  Far  away  behind 
us  those  remorseless  guns  were  still  roaring.  Sometimes 
out  of  the  darkness  would  come  shrieks  and  screams  and 
the  low  thunder  of  galloping  hoofs.  At  the  sound  we 
would  spur  our  horses  and  hasten  onward  through  the 
scattered  troops.  At  last,  after  riding  all  night  in  the 
clear  moonlight,  we  found  that  we  had  left  both  pursued 
and  pursuers  behind.  By  the  time  we  passed  over  the 
bridge  at  Charleroi  the  dawn  was  breaking.  What  a 
company  of  spectres  we  looked  in  that  cold,  clear,  search- 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      251 

ing  light,  the  Emperor  with  his  face  of  wax,  Soult 
blotched  with  powder,  Lobau  dabbled  with  blood!  But 
we  rode  more  easily  now,  and  had  ceased  to  glance 
over  our  shoulders,  for  Waterloo  was  more  than  thirty 
miles  behind  us.  One  of  the  Emperor's  carriages  had 
been  picked  up  at  .Charleroi,  and  we  halted  now  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Sambre,  and  dismounted  from  our 
horses. 

You  will  ask  me  why  it  was  that  during  all  this  time 
I  had  said  nothing  of  that  which  was  nearest  my  heart, 
the  need  for  guarding  the  Emperor.  As  a  fact,  I  had 
tried  to  speak  of  it  both  to  Soult  and  to  Lobau,  but  their 
minds  were  so  overwhelmed  with  the  disaster  and  so  dis- 
tracted by  the  pressing  needs  of  the  moment  that  it  was 
impossible  to  make  them  understand  how  urgent  was  my 
message.  Besides,  during  this  lotig  flight  we  had  always 
had  numbers  of  French  fugitives  beside  us  on  the  road, 
and,  however  demoralised  they  might  be,  we  had  noth- 
ing to  fear  from  the  attack  of  nine  men.  But  now,  as 
we  stood  round  the  Emperor's  carriage  in  the  early  morn- 
ing, I  observed  with  anxiety  that  not  a  single  French 
soldier  was  to  be  seen  upon  the  long,  white  road  behind 
us.  We  had  outstripped  the  army.  I  looked  round  to 
see  what  means  of  defence  were  left  to  Us.     The  horses 


252       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

of  the  Chasseurs  of  the  Guard  had  broken  down,  and 
only  one  of  them,  a  grey-whiskered  sergeant,  remained. 
There  were  Soult,  Lobau,  and  Bertrand;  but,  for  all 
their  talents,  I  had  rather,  when  it  came  to  hard  knocks, 
have  a  single  quartermaster-sergeant  of  Hussars  at  my 
side  than  the  three  of  them  put  together.  There  re- 
mained the  Emperor  himself,  the  coachman,  and  a  valet 
of  the  household  who  had  joined  us  at  Charleroi — eight 
all  told ;  but  of  the  eight  only  two,  the  Chasseur  and  I, 
were  fighting  soldiers  who  could  be  depended  upon  at  a 
pinch.  A  chill  came  over  me  as  I  reflected  how  utterly 
helpless  we  were.  At  that  moment  I  raised  my  eyes,  and 
there  were  the  nine  Prussian  horsemen  coming  over  the 
hilL 

On  either  side  of  the  road  at  this  point  are  long 
stretches  of  rolling  plain,  part  of  it  yellow  with  corn  and 
part  of  it  rich  grass  land  watered  by  the  Sambre.  To 
the  south  of  us  was  a  low  ridge,  over  which  was  the  road 
to  France.  Along  this  road  the  little  group  of  cavalry 
was  riding.  So  well  had  Count  Stein  obeyed  his  instruc- 
tions that  he  had  struck  far  to  the  south  of  us  in  his 
determination  to  get  ahead  of  the  Emperor.  Now  he 
was  riding  from  the  direction  in  which  we  were  going — 
the  last  in  which  we  could  expect  an  enemy.     When  I 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      253 

caught  that  first  glimpse  of  them  they  were  still  half  a 
mile  away. 

"Sire!"  I  cried,  "the  Prussians!" 

They  all  started  and  stared.  It  was  the  Emperor  who 
broke  the  silence. 

"Who  says  they  are  Prussians.?" 

"I  do,  Sire— I,  Etienne  Gerard!" 

Unpleasant  news  always  made  the  Emperor  furious 
against  the  man  who  broke  it.  He  railed  at  me  now  in 
the  rasping,  croaking,  Corsican  voice  which  only  made 
itself  heard  when  he  had  lost  his  self-control. 

"You  were  always  a  buffoon,"  he  cried.  "What  do 
you  mean,  you  numskull,  by  saying  that  they  are  Prus- 
sians? How  could  Prussians  be  coming  from  the  direc- 
tion of  France .?  You  have  lost  any  wits  that  you  ever 
possessed." 

His  words  cut  me  like  a  whip,  and  yet  we  all  felt 
toward  the  Emperor  as  an  old  dog  does  to  its  master. 
His  kick  is  soon  forgotten  and  forgiven.  I  would  not 
argue  or  justify  myself.  At  the  first  glance  I  had  seen 
the  two  white  stockings  on  the  forelegs  of  the  leading 
horse,  and  I  knew  well  that  Count  Stein  was  on  its  back. 
For  an  instant  the  nine  horsemen  had  halted  and  sur- 
veyed us.     Now  they  put  spurs  to  their  horses,  and  with 


«54       THE   ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

a  yell  of  triumph  they  galloped  dov/n  the  road.  They 
had  recognised  that  their  prey  v/as  in  their  power. 

At  that  swift  advance  all  doubt  had  vanished.  "By 
hfeavensj  Sitfe,  it  is  indeed  the  Prussians!"  cried' Soult. 
Lobau  and  Bertrand  ran  about  the  road  like  two  fright- 
ened hens.  The  sergeant  of  Chasseurs  drew  his  sabre 
with  a  volley  of  curses.  The  coachman  and  the  valet 
cried  and  wrung  their  hands.  Napoleon  stood  with  a 
frozen  face,  one  foot  On  the  step  of  the  carriage.  And 
I — ah,  my  friends,  I  was  magnificent !  What  words  can 
I  use  to  do  justice  to  my  own  bearing  at  that  supreme 
instant  of  my  life.?  So  coldly  alert,  so  deadly  cool,  so 
clear  in  brain  and  ready  in  hand.  He  had  called  me  a 
numskull  and  a  buffoon.  How  quick  and  how  noble  was 
my  revenge!  When  his  own  wits  failed  him,  it  was 
Etienne  Gerard  who  supplied  the  want. 

To  fight  was  absurd ;  to  fly  was  ridiculous.  The  Em- 
peror was  stout,  and  weary  to  death*  At  the  best  he 
was  never  a  good  rider.  How  could  he  fiy  from  these, 
the  picked  men  of  an  army?  The  best  horseman  in 
Prussia  was  among  them.  But  I  was  the  best  horseman 
in  France.  I,  and  only  I,  coilld  hold  my  own  with 
them.  If  they  were  on  my  track  instead  of  the 
Emperor's)   all   might   still  be   welh      These  were   the 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      255 

thoughts  which  flashed  so  swiftly  through  my  mind 
that  in  an  instant  I  had  sprung  from  the  first  idea 
to  the  final  conclusion.  Another  instant  carried  me  from 
the  final  conclusion  to  prompt  and  vigorous  action.  I 
rushed  to  the  side  of  the  Emperor,  who  stood  petrified, 
with  the  carriage  between  him  and  our  enemies.  "Your 
coat,  Sire !  your  hat  I"  I  cried,  I  dragged  them  off  him. 
Never  had  he  been  go  hustled  in  his  life.  In  an  instant  I 
had  them  on  and  had  thrust  him  into  the  carriage.  The 
next  I  had  sprung  on  to  his  famous  white  Arab  and  had 
ridden  clear  of  the  group  upop  the  road. 

You  have  already  diyiped  my  plan ;  but  you  ruuy  well 
ask  how  could  I  hope  to  pass  myself  off  as  the  Emperor. 
My  figure  is  as  you  stiU  see  it,  and  his  was  never  beauti- 
ful, for  he  was  both  short  and  stout.  But  a  man's  height 
Is  not  remarked  when  he  is  in  the  saddle,  and  for  the  rest 
one  had  but  to  sit  forward  on  the  \ior^e  and  round  one's 
back  and  carry  oneself  like  a  sack  of  flour.  I  wore  the 
little  cocked  hat  and  the  loose  grey  coat  with  the  silver 
star  which  was  known  to  every  child  from  one  end 
of  Europe  to  the  other.  Beneath  me  was  the  Emperor's 
own  famous  white  charger.     It  was  complete. 

Already  as  I  rode  clear  the  Prussians  were  within  two 
hundred  yards  of  us.     I  made  a  gesture  of  terror  and 


^Se       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

despair  with  my  hands,  and  I  sprang  my  horse  over  the 
bank  which  Hned  the  road.  It  was  enough.  A  yell  of 
exultation  and  of  furious  hatred  broke  from  the  Prus- 
sians. It  was  the  howl  of  starving  wolves  who  scent 
their  prey.  I  spurred  my  horse  over  the  meadow-land 
and  looked  back  under  my  arm  as  I  rode.  Oh,  the  glori- 
ous moment  when  one  after  the  other  I  saw  eight  horse- 
men come  over  the  bank  at  my  heels!  Only  one  had 
stayed  behind,  and  I  heard  shouting  and  the  sounds  of  a 
struggle.  I  remembered  my  old  sergeant  of  Chasseurs, 
and  I  was  sure  that  number  nine  would  trouble  us  no 
more.  The  road  was  clear  and  the  Emperor  free  to  con- 
tinue his  journey.  ^ 

But  now  I  had  to  think  of  myself.  If  I  were  over- 
taken the  Prussians  would  certainly  make  short  work  of 
me  in  their  disappointment.  If  it  were  so — if  I  lost  my 
life — I  should  still  have  sold  it  at  a  glorious  price.  But 
I  had  hopes  that  I  might  shake  them  off.  With  ordinary 
horsemen  upon  ordinary  horses  I  should  have  had  no 
difficulty  in  doing  so,  but  here  both  steeds  and  riders 
were  of  the  best.  It  was  a  grand  creature  that  I  rode, 
but  it  was  weary  with  its  long  night's  work,  and  the 
Emperor  was  one  of  those  riders  who  do  not  know  how  to 
manage  a  horse.     He  had  little  thought  for  them  and  a 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      251 

heavy  hand  upon  their  mouths.  On  the  other  hand, 
Stein  and  his  men  had  come  both  far  and  fast.  The  race 
was  a  fair  one. 

So  quick  had  been  my  impulse,  and  so  rapidly  had  I 
acted  upon  it,  that  I  had  not  thought  enough  of  my  own 
safety.  Had  I  done  so  in  the  first  instance  I  should,  of 
course,  have  ridden  straight  back  the  way  we  had  come, 
for  so  I  should  have  met  our  own  people.  But  I  was  off 
the  road  and  had  galloped  a  mile  over  the  plain  before 
this  occurred  to  me.  Then  when  I  looked  back  I  saw  that 
the  Prussians  had  spread  out  into  a  long  line,  so  as  to 
head  me  off  from  the  Charleroi  road.  I  could  not  turn 
back,  but  at  least  I  could  edge  toward  the  north.  I 
knew  that  the  whole  face  of  the  country  was  covered  with 
our  flying  troops,  and  that  sooner  or  later  I  must  come 
upon  some  of  them. 

But  one  thing  I  had  forgotten — ^the  Sambre.  In  my 
excitement  I  never  gave  it  a  thought  until  I  saw  it,  deep 
and  broad,  gleaming  in  the  morning  sunlight.  It  barred 
my  path,  and  the  Prussians  howled  behind  me.  I  gal- 
loped to  the  brink,  but  the  horse  refused  the  plunge.  I 
spurred  him,  but  the  bank  was  high  and  the  stream  deep. 
He  shrank  back  trembling  and  snorting.  The  yells  of 
triumph  were  louder  every  Instant.     I  turned  and  rode 


S58   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

for  my  life  down  the  river  bank.  It  formed  a  loop  at 
this  part,  and  I  must  get  across  somehow,  for  my  retreat 
was  blocked.  Suddenly  a  thrill  of  hope  ran  through  me, 
for  I  saw  a  house  on  my  side  of  the  stream  and  another 
on  the  farther  bank.  Where  there  are  two  such  houses 
it  usually  means  that  there  is  a  ford  between  them.  A 
sloping  path  led  to  the  brink  and  I  urged  my  horse  down 
it.  On  he  went,  the  water  up  to  the  saddle,  the  foam 
flying  right  and  left.  He  blundered  once  and  I  thought 
we  were  lost,  but  he  recovered  and  an  instant  later 
was  clattering  up  the  farther  slope.  As  we  came  out  I 
heard  the  splash  behind  me  as  the  first  Prussian  took 
the  water.  There  was  just  the  breadth  of  the  Sambre 
between  us.  |k 

I  rode  with  my  head  sunk  between  my  shoulders  in  Na- 
poleon's fashion,  and  I  did  not  dare  to  look  back  for  fear 
they  should  see  my  moustache.  I  had  turned  up  the  collar 
of  the  grey  coat  so  as  partly  to  hide  it.  Even  now  if 
they  found  out  their  mistake  they  might  turn  and  over- 
take the  carriage.  But  when  once  we  were  on  the  road 
I  could  tell  by  the  drumming  of  their  hoofs  how  far  dis- 
tant they  were,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  sound  grew 
perceptibly  louder,  as  if  they  were  slowly  gaining  upon 
xne.     We  were  riding  now  up  the  stony  and  rutted  lane 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      259 

which  led  from  the  ford.  I  peeped  back  very  cautiously 
from  under  my  arm  and  I  perceived  that  my  danger  came 
from  a  single  rider,  who  was  far  ahead  of  his  comrades. 
He  was  a  Hussar,  a  very  tiny  fellow,  upon  a  big  black 
horse,  and  it  was  his  light  weight  which  had  brought  him 
into  the  foremost  place.  It  is  a  place  of  honour ;  but  it  ia 
also  a  place  of  danger,  as  he  was  soon  to  learn.  I  felt  the 
holsters,  but,  to  my  horror,  there  were  no  pistols.  There 
was  a  field-glass  in  one  and  the  other  was  stuffed  with 
papers.  My  sword  had  been  left  behind  with  Violette. 
Had  I  only  my  own  weapons  and  my  own  little  mare  I 
could  have  played  with  these  rascals.  But  I  was  not  en- 
tirely unarmed.  The  Emperor's  own  sword  hung  to  the 
saddle.  It  was  curved  and  short,  the  hilt  all  crusted  with 
gold — a  thing  more  fitted  to  glitter  at  a  review  than  to 
serve  a  soldier  in  his  deadly  need.  I  drew  it,  such  as  it 
was,  and  I  waited  my  chance.  Every  instant  the  clink 
and  clatter  of  the  hoofs  grew  nearer.  I  heard  the  pant- 
ing of  the  horse,  and  the  fellow  shouted  some  threat  at 
me.  There  was  a  turn  in  the  lane,  and  as  I  rounded  it  I 
drew  up  my  white  Arab  on  his  haunches.  As  we  spun 
round  I  met  the  Prussian  Hussar  face  to  face.  He  was 
going  too  fast  to  stop,  and  his  only  chance  was  to  ride 
m^  down.     Had  he  done  so  he  might  have  met  his  own 


260   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

death,  but  he  would  have  injured  me  or  my  horse  past  all 
hope  of  escape.  But  the  fool  flinched  as  he  saw  me  wait- 
ing and  flew  past  me  on  my  right.  I  lunged  over  my 
Arab's  neck  and  buried  my  toy  sword  in  his  side.  It 
must  have  been  the  finest  steel  and  as  sharp  as  a  razor,  for 
I  hardly  felt  it  enter,  and  yet  his  blood  was  within  three 
inches  of  the  hilt.  His  horse  galloped  on  and  he  kept  his 
saddle  for  a  hundred  yards  before  he  sank  down  with  his 
face  on  the  mane  and  then  dived  over  the  side  of  the  neck 
on  to  the  road.  For  my  own  part  I  was  already  at  his 
horse's  heels.  A  few  seconds  had  sufficed  for  all  that  I 
have  told. 

I  heard  the  cry  of  rage  and  vengeance  which  rose  from 
the  Prussians  as  they  passed  their  dead  comrade,  and  I 
could  not  but  smile  as  I  wondered  what  they  could  think 
of  the  Emperor  as  a  horseman  and  a  swordsman.  I 
glanced  back  cautiously  as  before,  and  I  saw  that  none 
of  the  seven  men  stopped.  The  fate  of  their  comrade 
was  nothing  compared  to  the  carrying  out  of  their  mis- 
sion. They  were  as  untiring  and  as  remorseless  as  blood- 
hounds. But  I  had  a  good  lead  and  the  brave  Arab  was 
still  going  well.  I  thought  that  I  was  safe.  And  yet  it 
was  at  that  very  instant  that  the  most  terrible  danger  be- 
fell me.     The  lane  divided,  and  I  took  the  smaller  of  the 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      ^61 

two  divisions  because  it  was  the  more  grassy  and  the  easier 
for  the  horse's  hoofs.  Imagine  my  horror  when,  riding 
through  a  gate,  I  found  myself  in  a  square  of  stables  and 
farm-buildings,  with  no  way  out  save  that  by  which  I 
had  come !  Ah,  my  friends,  if  my  hair  is  snowy  white, 
have  I  not  had  enough  to  make  it  so  ? 

To  retreat  was  impossible.  I  could  hear  the  thunder 
of  the  Prussians'  hoofs  in  the  lane.  I  looked  round  me, 
and  Nature  has  blessed  me  with  that  quick  eye  which  is 
the  first  of  gifts  to  any  soldier,  but  most  of  all  to  a  leader 
of  cavalry.  Between  a  long,  low  line  of  stables  and  the 
farm-house  there  was  a  pig-sty.  Its  front  was  made  of 
bars  of  wood  four  feet  high;  the  back  was  of  stone, 
higher  than  the  front.  What  was  beyond  I  could  not 
tell.  The  space  between  the  front  and  the  back  was  not 
more  than  a  few  yards.  It  was  a  desperate  venture,  and 
yet  I  must  take  it.  Every  instant  the  beating  of  those 
hurrying  hoofs  was  louder  and  louder.  I  put  my  Arab 
at  the  pig-sty.  She  cleared  the  front  beautifully  and 
came  down  with  her  forefeet  upon  the  sleeping  pig  with- 
in, slipping  forward  upon  her  knees.  I  was  thrown  over 
the  wall  beyond,  and  fell  upon  my  hands  and  face  in  a 
soft  flower-bed.  My  horse  was  upon  one  side  of  the  wall, 
I  upon  the  other,  and  the  Prussians  were  pouring  into  the 


S62   THE  ADVENTUHES  OF  GERARD 

yard.  But  I  was  up  in  an  instant  and  had  seized  the 
bridle  of  the  plunging  horse  over  the  top  of  the  wall.  It 
was  built  of  loose  stones,  and  I  dragged  down  a  few  of 
them  to  make  a  gap.  As  I  tugged  at  the  bridle  and 
shouted  the  gallant  creature  rose  to  the  leap,  and  an  in- 
stant afterward  she  w^s  by  ?ny  side  and  I  with  my  foot 
on  the  stirrnp. 

An  heroic  idea  had  entered  my  mind  as  I  mounted  into 
the  saddle.  These  Prussians,  jf  they  came  over  the  pig- 
sty, could  only  come  one  at  once,  and  their  attack  would 
not  be  formidable  when  they  had  not  had  time  to  recover 
from  such  a  leap.  Why  should  I  not  wait  and  kill  them 
one  by  one  as  they  came  over?  It  wag  a  glorious 
thought.  They  would  learn  that  Etienne  Gerard  was 
not  a  safe  mm  to  hunt.  My  hand  felt  for  vfiy  sword, 
but  you  can  imagine  my  feelings,  my  friends,  when  I 
came  uppn  an  empty  scabbard.  It  had  been  shaken  out 
when  the  horse  had  tripped  over  that  infernal  pig.  On 
what  absurd  trifles  do  our  destinies  hang — a  pig  on  one 
side,  Etienne  Gerard  on  the  other !  Could  I  spring  over 
the  wall  and  get  the  sword?  Impossible!  The  Prus- 
sians were  already  in  the  yard.  I  turned  my  Arab  and 
resumed  my  flight. 

But  for  a  moment  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  was  in  a  far 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO 
wot'se  trftj)  thaii  before.  I  found  myself  in  the  garden 
df  thfe  farm-house,  an  orchard  in  the  centre  and  flower^ 
beds  ttU  round.  A  high  wall  surrounded  the  whole 
place,  i  reflected,  however,  that  there  must  be  some 
point  of  enti-anCe,  siilcfe  6very  visitor  could  not  be  ex- 
pected to  spring  over  the  pig-sty.  I  rode  round 
the  walli  As  I  expected,  I  came  upon  a  door  with  a 
key  updti  the  itiner  side.  I  dismounted,  unlocked  it, 
opened  it,  And  there  was  a  Prussian  Lancer  sitting  his 
horse  within  six  feet  df  mfe. 

For  a  moment  we  each  stared  ftt  the  other.  Then  I 
shut  the  door  and  locked  it  again.  A  crash  and  a  cry 
came  firim  the  other  end  of  the  garden.  I  understood 
that  one  of  my  enemies  had  come  to  grief  in  trying  to 
get  bver  the  pig-sty.  How  could  t  ever  get  out  of  this 
cttt-de-$ac?  It  was  evident  that  sdme  of  the  party  had 
gaildped  toUtid,  while  some  had  followed  straight  upon 
my  tracks.  Had  I  my  sword  I  might  have  beaten  off 
the  Laricel*  at  the  ddor,  but  td  Come  out  now  was  to  be 
butchered.  And  yet  if  I  waited  sdme  of  them  would 
certainly  folldW  me  on  foot  over  the  pig-sty,  and  what 
could  1  do  then  ?  I  must  act  at  dnce  6t  1  Was  Idst.  But 
it  is  at  such  mdmeilts  that  my  wits  ate  most  active  and 
my  actions  most  prdmjjt.     Still  leading  my  horse,  I  ran 


264   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

for  a  hundred  yards  by  the  side  of  the  wall  away  from 
the  spot  where  the  Lancer  was  watching.  There  I 
stopped,  and  with  an  effort  I  tumbled  down  several  of 
the  loose  stones  from  the  top  of  the  wall.  The  instant  I 
had  done  so  I  hurried  back  to  the  door.  As  I  had  ex- 
pected, he  thought  I  was  making  a  gap  for  my  escape 
at  that  point,  and  I  heard  the  thud  of  his  horse's  hoofs 
as  he  galloped  to  cut  me  off.  As  I  reached  the  gate  I 
looked  back,  and  I  saw  a  green-coated  horseman,  whom 
I  knew  to  be  Count  Stein,  clear  the  pig-sty  and  gallop 
furiously  with  a  shout  of  triumph  across  the  garden. 
"Surrender,  your  Majesty,  surrender!"  he  yelled;  "we 
will  give  you  quarter!"  I  slipped  through  the  gate, 
but  had  no  time  to  lock  it  on  the  other  side.  Stein  was 
at  my  very  heels,  and  the  Lancer  had  already  turned  his 
horse.  Springing  upon  my  Arab's  back,  I  was  off  once 
more  with  a  clear  stretch  of  grass  land  before  me.  Stein 
had  to  dismount  to  open  the  gate,  to  lead  his  horse 
through,  and  to  mount  again  before  he  could  follow. 
It  was  he  that  I  feared  rather  than  the  Lancer,  whose 
horse  was  coarse-bred  and  weary.  I  galloped  hard  for 
a  mile  before  I  ventured  to  look  back,  and  then  Stein 
was  a  musket-shot  from  me,  and  the  Lancer  as  much 
again,  while  only  three  of  the  others  were  in  sight.     My 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      265 

nine  Prussians  were  coming  down  to  more  manage- 
able numbers,  and  yet  one  was  too  much  for  an  unarmed 
man. 

It  had  surprised  me  that  during  this  long  chase  I  had 
seen  no  fugitives  from  the  army,  but  I  reflected  that  I 
was  considerably  to  the  west  of  their  line  of  flight,  and 
that  I  must  edge  more  toward  the  east  if  I  wished  to 
join  them.  Unless  I  did  so  it  was  probable  that  my 
pursuers,  even  if  they  could  not  overtake  me  themselves, 
would  keep  me  in  view  until  I  was  headed  off  by  some 
of  their  comrades  coming  from  the  north.  As  I  looked 
to  the  eastward  I  saw  afar  off  a  line  of  dust  which 
stretched  for  miles  across  the  country.  This  was  cer- 
tainly the  main  road  along  which  our  unhappy  army 
was  flying.  But  I  soon  had  proof  that  some  of  our 
stragglers  had  wandered  into  these  side  tracks,  for  I 
came  suddenly  upon  a  horse  grazing  at  the  corner  of  a 
field,  and  beside  him,  with  his  back  against  the  bank, 
his  master,  a  French  Cuirassier,  terribly  wounded  and 
evidently  on  the  point  of  death.  I  sprang  down,  seized 
his  long,  heavy  sword,  and  rode  on  with  it.  Never  shall 
I  forget  the  poor  man's  face  as  he  looked  at  me  with  his 
failing  sight.  He  was  an  old,  grey-moustached  soldier, 
one    of   the   real    fanatics,   and  to   him   this   last  vis- 


me       THE  ADVENTURES   OF  GERARD 

ion  of  his  Emperor  was  like  a  revelation  from  on  high. 
Astonishment,  love,  pride — all  shone  in  his  pallid 
face.  He  said  something — I  fear  they  were  his  last  words 
-^but  I  had  no  time  to  listen,  and  I  galloped  on  my 
tvdy. 

All  this  time  I  had  been  on  the  meadow-land,  which 
was  intersected  in  this  part  by  broad  ditches.  Some  of 
them  could  not  have  been  less  than  from  fourteen  to 
fifteen  feet^  and  my  heart  was  in  my  mouth  as  I  went 
at  each  of  them,  for  a  slip  would  have  been  my  ruin. 
But  whoever  selected  the  Emperor's  horses  had  done  his 
work  well.  The  creature,  save  when  it  balked  on  the 
bank  of  the  Sambre,  never  failed  me  for  an  instant. 
We  cleared  (everything  in  one  stride.  And  yet  we  could 
not  shake  off  those  infernal  Prussians.  As  I  left  each 
water-course  behind  mc  I  looked  back  with  renewed  hope ; 
but  it  was  only  to  see  Stein  on  his  vv^hite-legged  chestnut 
flying  over  it  as  lightly  as  I  had  done  myself.  He  was 
my  enemy,  but  I  honoured  him  for  the  way  in  which 
he  carried  himself  that  day. 

Again  and  again  I  measured  the  distance  which  sepa- 
rated him  from  the  next  horseman.  I  had  the  idea  that 
I  might  turn  and  cut  him  down,  as  I  had  the  Hussar, 
before  his  comrade  eould  come  to  hid  help»      But  the 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO  26"i 
others  had  closed  up  and  were  not  far  behind.  I  re- 
flected that  this  Stein  was  probably  as  fine  a  swordsman 
as  he  was  a  rider,  and  that  it  might  take  me  some  little 
time  to  get  the  better  of  him.  In  that  case  the  others 
would  come  to  his  aid  and  I  should  be  lost.  On  the 
whole,  it  was  wiser  to  continue  my  flight. 

A  road  with  poplars  on  either  side  ran  across  the 
plain  from  east  to  west.  It  would  lead  me  toward  that 
long  line  of  dust  which  marked  the  French  retreat.  I 
wheeled  my  horse,  therefore,  and  galloped  down  it.  As 
I  rode  I  saw  a  single  house  in  front  of  me  upon  the 
right,  with  a  great  bush  hung  over  the  door  to  mark  it 
as  an  inn.  Outside  there  were  several  peasants,  but  for 
them  I  cared  nothing.  What  frightened  me  was  to  see 
the  gleam  of  a  red  coat,  which  showed  that  there  were 
British  in  the  place.  However,  I  could  not  turn  and 
I  could  not  stop,  so  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  gal- 
lop on  and  to  take  my  chance.  There  were  no  troops 
in  sight,  so  these  men  must  be  stragglers  or  marauders, 
from  whom  I  had  little  to  fear.  As  I  approached  I 
saw  that  there  were  two  of  them  sitting  drinking  on  a 
bench  outside  the  inn  door.  I  saw  them  stagger  to 
their  feet,  and  it  was  evident  that  they  were  both  very 
drunk.     One  stood  swaying  in  the  middle  of  the  road. 


268   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

"It's  Boney !  So  help  me,  it's  Bonej !"  he  yelled.  He 
ran  with  his  hands  out  to  catch  me,  but  luckily  for  him- 
'  self  his  drunken  feet  stumbled  and  he  fell  on  his  face 
on  the  road.  The  other  was  more  dangerous.  He  had 
rushed  into  the  inn,  and  just  as  I  passed  I  saw  him  run 
out  with  his  musket  in  his  hand.  He  dropped  upon 
one  knee,  and  I  stooped  forward  over  my  horse's  neck. 
A  single  shot  from  a  Prussian  or  an  Austrian  is  a  small 
matter,  but  the  British  were  at  that  time  the  best  shots 
in  Europe,  and  my  drunkard  seemed  steady  enough  when 
he  had  a  gun  at  his  shoulder.  I  heard  the  crack,  and 
my  horse  gave  a  convulsive  spring  which  would  have 
unseated  many  a  rider.  For  an  instant  I  thought  he 
was  killed,  but  when  I  turned  in  my  saddle  I  saw  a 
stream  of  blood  running  down  the  off  hind-quarter.  I 
looked  back  at  the  Englishman,  and  the  brute  had  bit- 
ten the  end  off  another  cartridge  and  was  ramming  it 
into  his  musket,  but  before  he  had  it  primed  we  were  be- 
yond his  range.  These  men  were  foot-soldiers  and  could 
not  join  in  the  chase,  but  I  heard  them  whooping  and 
tally-hoing  behind  me  as  if  I  had  been  a  fox.  The 
peasants  also  shouted  and  ran  through  the  fields  flour- 
ishing their  sticks.  From  all  sides  I  heard  cries,  and 
everywhere  were  the  rushing,  waving  figures  of  my  pur- 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      269 

suers.  To  think  of  the  great  Emperor  being  chivvied 
over  the  country-side  in  this  fashion !  It  made  me  long 
to  have  these  rascals  within  the  sweep  of  my  sword. 

But  now  I  felt  that  I  was  nearing  the  end  of  my 
course.  I  had  done  all  that  a  man  could  be  expected 
to  do — some  would  say  more — but  at  last  I  had  come 
to  a  point  from  which  I  could  see  no  escape.  The  horses 
of  my  pursuers  were  exhausted,  but  mine  was  exhausted 
and  wounded  also.  It  was  losing  blood  fast,  and  we 
left  a  red  trail  upon  the  white,  dusty  road.  Already 
his  pace  was  slackening,  and  sooner  or  later  he  must 
drop  under  me.  I  looked  back,  and  there  were  the  five 
inevitable  Prussians — St^in  a  hundred  yards  in  front, 
then  a  Lancer,  and  then  three  others  riding  together. 
Stein  had  drawn  his  sword,  and  he  waved  it  at  me.  For 
my  own  part  I  was  determined  not  to  give  myself  up. 
I  would  try  how  many  of  these  Prussians  I  could  take 
with  me  into  the  other  world.  At  this  supreme  moment 
all  the  great  deeds  of  my  life  rose  in  a  vision  before 
me,  and  I  felt  that  this,  my  last  exploit,  was  indeed  a 
worthy  close  to  such  a  career.  My  death  would  be  a 
fatal  blow  to  those  who  loved  me,  to  my  dear  mother, 
to  my  Hussars,  to  others  who  shall  be  nameless.  But 
all  of  them  had  my  honour  and  my  fame  at  heart,  and 


.^70  THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 
I  felt  that  their  grief  would  be  tinged  with  pride  when 
they  learned  how  I  had  ridden  and  how  I  had  fought 
upon  this  last  day.  Therefore  I  hardened  my  heart 
and,  as  my  Arab  limped  more  and  more  upon  his 
wounded  leg,  I  drew  the  great  sword  which  I  had  taken 
from  the  Cuirassier,  and  I  set  my  teeth  for  m^^  supreme 
struggle.  My  hand  was  in  the  very  act  of  tightening 
the  bridle,  for  I  feared  that  if  I  delayed  longer  I  might 
find  myself  on  foot  fighting  against  five  mounted  men. 
At  that  instant  my  eye  fell  upon  something  which 
brought  hope  to  my  heart  and  a  shout  of  joy  to  my 
lips. 

From  a  grove  of  trees  in  front  of  me  there  projected 
the  steeple  of  a  village  church.  But  there  could  not 
be  two  steeples  like  that,  for  the  corner  of  it  had  crum- 
bled away  or  been  struck  by  lightning,  so  that  it  was  of  a 
most  fantastic  shape.  I  had  seen  it  only  two  daye  before, 
and  it  was  the  church  of  the  village  of  Gosselies.  It  was 
not  the  hope  of  reaching  the  village  which  set  my  heart 
singing  with  joy,  but  it  was  that  I  knew  my  ground  nov/, 
and  that  farm-house  not  half  a  mile  ahead,  with  its  gable 
end  sticking  out  from  amid  the  trees,  must  be  that  very 
farm  of  St.  Auna}^  where  we  had  bivouacked,  and  which 
I  had  named  to  Captain  Sabbatier  as  the  rendezvous  of 


HOW  HE  BORE  HIMSELF  AT  WATERLOO      271 

the  Hussars  of  Conflans.  There  they  were,  my  little 
rascals,  if  I  could  but  reach  them.  With  every  bound 
my  horse  grew  weaker.  Each  instant  the  sound  of  the 
pursuit  grew  louder.  I  heard  a  gust  of  crackling  Ger- 
man oatlis  at  my  very  heels.  A  pistol  bullet  sighed  in 
my  ears.  Spurring  frantically  and  beating  my  poor 
Arab  with  the  flat  of  my  sword  I  kept  him  at  the  top 
of  his  speed.  The  open  gate  of  the  farm-yard  lay  before 
me.  I  saw  the  twinkle  of  steel  within.  Stein's  horse's 
head  was  within  ten  yards  of  me  as  I  thundered  through. 
"To  me,  comrades !  To  me !"  I  yelled.  I  heard  a  buzz 
as  when  the  angry  bees  swarm  from  their  nest.  Then 
my  splendid  white  Arab  fell  dead  under  me  and  I  was 
hurled  on  to  the  cobble-stones  of  the  yard,  where  I  can 
remember  no  more. 

Such  was  my  last  and  most  famous  exploit,  my  dear 
friends,  a  story  which  rang  through  Europe  and  has 
made  the  name  of  Etienne  Gerard  famous  in  history. 
Alas!  that  all  my  efforts  could  only  give  the  Emperor 
a  few  weeks  more  liberty,  since  he  surrendered  upon  the 
15th  of  July  to  the  English.  But  it  was  not  my  fault 
that  he  was  not  able  to  collect  the  forces  still  waiting 
for  him  in  France,  and  to  fight  another  Waterloo  with 
a  happier  ending.    Had  others  been  as  loyal  as  I  was  the 


272   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

history  of  the  world  might  have  been  changed,  the  Em- 
peror would  have  preserved  his  throne,  and  such  a  soldier 
as  I  would  not  have  been  left  to  spend  his  life  in  plant- 
ing cabbages  or  to  while  away  his  old  age  telling  stories 
in  a  cafe.  You  ask  me  about  the  fate  of  Stein  and  the 
Prussian  horsemen!  Of  the  three  who  dropped  upon 
the  way  I  know  nothing.  One  you  will  remember  that  I 
killed.  There  remained  five,  three  of  whom  were  cut 
down  by  my  Hussars,  who,  for  the  instant,  were  under 
the  impression  that  it  was  indeed  the  Emperor  whom 
they  were  defending.  Stein  was  taken,  slightly 
wounded,  and  so  was  one  of  the  Uhlans.  The  truth  was 
not  told  to  them,  for  we  thought  it  best  that  no  news,  or 
false  news,  should  get  about  as  to  where  the  Emperor 
was,  so  that  Count  Stein  still  believed  that  he  was  within 
a  few  yards  of  making  that  tremendous  capture.  "You 
may  well  love  and  honour  your  Emperor,"  said  he,  "for 
such  a  horseman  and  such  a  swordsman  I  have  never 
seen."  He  could  not  understand  why  the  young  colonel 
of  Hussars  laughed  so  heartily  at  his  words — ^but  he  has 
learned  since. 


VIII 

The  Last  Adventure  of  the  Brigadier 

I  will  tell  you  no  more  stories,  my  dear  friends.     It  is 

said  that  man  is  like  the  hare,  which  runs  in  a  circle 

and  comes  back  to  die  at  the  point  from  which  it  started. 

Gascony  has  been  calling  to  me  of  late.     I  see  the  blue 

Garonne  winding  among  the  vineyards  and  the  bluer 

ocean  toward  which  its   waters  sweep.      I  see  the   old 

town  also,  and  the  bristle  of  masts  from  the  side  of 

the  long  stone  quay.    My  heart  hungers  for  the  breath  of 

my  native  air  and  the  warm  glow  of  my  native  sun. 

Here   in   Paris   are   my   friends,   my   occupations,    my 

pleasures.     There  all  who  have  known  me  are  in  their 

grave.     And  yet  the  southwest  wind   as  it  rattles  on 

my  windows  seems  always  to  be  the  strong  voice  of  the 

motherland  calling  her  child  back  to  that  bosom  into 

which  I  am  ready  to  sink.     I  have  played  my  part  in 

my   time.      The  time  has   passed.      I   must   pass   also. 

Nay,  dear  friends,  do  not  look  sad,  for  what  can  be 

273 


274   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

happier  than  a  hfe  completed  in  honour  and  made 
beautiful  with  friendship  and  love?  And  yet  it  is 
solemn  also  when  a  man  approaches  the  end  of  the  long 
road  and  sees  the  turning  which  leads  him  into  the  un- 
known. But  the  Emperor  and  all  his  Marshals  have 
ridden  round  that  dark  turning  and  passed  into  the 
beyond.  My  Hussars,  too — there  are  not  fifty  men  who 
are  not  waiting  yonder.  I  must  go.  But  on  this  the 
last  night  I  will  tell  you  that  which  is  more  than  a 
tale — it  is  a  great  historical  secret.  My  lips  have  been 
sealed,  but  I  see  no  reason  why  I  should  not  leave  be- 
hind me  some  account  of  this  remarkable  adventure, 
which  must  otherwise  be  entirely  lost,  since  I  and  only 
I,  of  all  living  men,  have  a  knowledge  of  the  facts. 

I  will  ask  you  to  go  back  with  me  to  the  year  1821. 
In  that  year  our  great  Emperor  had  been  absent  from 
us  for  six  years,  and  only  now  and  then  from  over  the 
seas  we  heard  some  whisper  which  showed  that  he  was 
still  alive.  You  cannot  think  what  a  weight  it  was  upon 
our  hearts  for  us  who  loved  him  to  think  of  him  in 
captivity  eating  his  giant  soul  out  upon  that  lonely 
island.  From  the  moment  we  rose  until  we  closed  our 
eyes  in  sleep  the  thought  was  always  with  us,  and  we 
felt  dishonoured  that  he,  our  chief  and  master,  should 


HIS   LAST  ADVENTURE  275 

be  so  humiliated  without  our  being  able  to  move  a  hand 
to  help  him.  There  were  many  who  would  most  will- 
ingly have  laid  down  the  remainder  of  their  lives  to 
bring  him  a  little  ease,  and  yet  all  that  we  could  do  was 
to  sit  and  grumble  in  our  cafes  and  stare  at  the  map, 
counting  up  the  leagues  of  water  which  lay  between  us. 
It  seemed  that  he  might  have  been  in  the  moon  for  all 
that  we  could  do  to  help  him.  But  that  was  only  be- 
cause we  were  all  soldiers  and  knew  nothing  of  the 
sea. 

Of  course,  we  had  our  own  little  troubles  to  make 
us  bitter,  as  well  as  the  wrongs  of  our  Emperor.  There 
were  many  of  us  who  had  held  high  rank  and  would 
hold  it  again  if  he  came  back  to  his  own.  We  had  not 
found  it  possible  to  take  service  under  the  white  flag 
of  the  Bourbons,  or  to  take  an  oath  which  might  turn 
our  sabres  against  the  man  whom  we  loved.  So  we 
found  ourselves  with  neither  work  nor  money.  What 
could  we  do  save  gather  together  and  gossip  and  grum- 
ble, while  those  who  had  a  little  paid  the  score  and 
those  who  had  nothing  shared  the  bottle?  Now  and 
then,  if  we  were  lucky,  we  managed  to  pick  a  quarrel 
with  one  of  the  Garde  du  Corps,  and  if  we  left  him  on 
his  back  in  the  Bois  we  felt  that  we  had  struck  a  blow 


276   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

for  Napoleon  once  again.  They  came  to  know  our 
haunts  in  time,  and  they  avoided  them  as  if  they  had 
been  hornets'  nests. 

There  was  one  of  these — the  Sign  of  the  Great  Man 
— in  the  Rue  Varennes,  which  was  frequented  by  sev- 
eral of  the  more  distinguished  and  younger  Napoleonic 
officers.  Nearly  all  of  us  had  been  colonels  or  aides- 
de-camp,  and  when  any  man  of  less  distinction  came 
among  us  we  generally  made  him  feel  that  he  had 
taken  a  liberty.  There  were  Captain  Lepine,  who  had 
won  the  medal  of  honour  at  Leipzig;  Colonel  Bonnet, 
aide-de-camp  to  Macdonald;  Colonel  Jourdan,  whose 
fame  in  the  army  was  hardly  second  to  my  own;  Sab- 
batier  of  my  own  Hussars,  Meunier  of  the  Red  Lan- 
cers, Le  Breton  of  the  Guards,  and  a  dozen  others. 
Every  night  we  met  and  talked,  played  dominoes,  drank 
a  glass  or  two,  and  wondered  how  long  it  would  be  be- 
fore the  Emperor  would  be  back  and  we  at  the  head  of 
our  regiments  once  more.  The  Bourbons  had  already 
lost  any  hold  they  ever  had  upon  the  country,  as  was 
shown  a  few  years  afterward,  when  Paris  rose  against 
them  and  they  were  hunted  for  the  third  time  out  of 
France.  Napoleon  had  but  to  show  himself  on  the 
coast,  and  he  would  have  marched  without  firing  a  mus- 


HIS  LAST  ADVENTURE  S77 

ket  to  the  capital,  exactly  as  he  had  done  when  he  came 
back  from  Elba. 

Well,  when  affairs  were  in  this  state  there  arrived 
one  night  in  February,  in  our  cafe,  a  most  singular 
little  man.  He  was  short  but  exceedingly  broad,  with 
huge  shoulders,  and  a  head  which  was  a  deformity,  so 
large  was  it.  His  heavy  brown  face  was  scarred  with 
white  streaks  in  a  most  extraordinary  manner,  and  he 
had  grizzled  whiskers  such  as  seamen  wear.  Two  gold 
earrings  in  his  ears,  and  plentiful  tattooing  upon  his 
hands  and  arms,  told  us  also  that  he  was  of  the  sea  be- 
fore he  introduced  himself  to  us  as  Captain  Fourneau, 
of  the  Emperor's  navy.  He  had  letters  of  introduction 
to  two  of  our  number,  and  there  could  be  no  doubt  that 
he  was  devoted  to  the  cause.  He  won  our  respect,  too, 
for  he  had  seen  as  much  fighting  as  any  of  us,  and 
the  bums  upon  his  face  were  caused  by  his  standing  to  his 
post  upon  the  Orient,  at  the  Battle  of  the  Nile,  until 
the  vessel  blew  up  underneath  him.  Yet  he  would  say 
little  about  himself,  but  he  sat  in  the  corner  of  the  cafe 
watching  us  all  with  a  wonderfully  sharp  pair  of  eyes 
and  listening  intently  to  our  talk. 

One  night  I  was  leaving  the  cafe  when  Captain 
Fourneau  followed  me,  and  touching  me  on  tlie  arm  he 


S78   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

led  me  without  saying  a  word  for  some  distance  until 
we  reached  his  lodgings.  "I  wish  to  have  a  chat  with 
you,"  said  he,  and  so  conducted  me  up  the  stair  to  his 
room.  There  he  lit  a  lamp  and  handed  me  a  sheet  of 
paper  which  he  took  from  an  envelope  in  his  bureau.  It 
was  dated  a  few  months  before  from  the  Palace  of 
Schonbrunn  at  Vienna,  "Captain  Fourneau  is  acting 
in  the  highest  interests  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon. 
Those  who  love  the  Emperor  should  obey  him  without 
question. — Marie  Louise."  That  is  what  I  read.  I 
was  familiar  with  the  signature  of  the  Empress,  and  I 
could  not  doubt  that  this  was  genuine. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "are  you  satisfied  as  to  my  creden- 
tials.?" 

"Entirely." 

"Are  you  prepared  to  take  your  orders  from  me.?" 

"This  document  leaves  me  no  choice." 

"Good!  In  the  first  place,  I  understand  from  some- 
thing you  said  in  the  cafe  that  you  can  speak  English.?" 

"Yes,  I  can." 

"Let  me  hear  you  do  so." 

I  said  in  English,  "Whenever  the  Emperor  needs  the 
help  of  Etienne  Gerard  I  am  ready  night  and  day  to 
give  my  life  in  his  service."     Captain  Fourneau  smiled. 


HIS   LAST  ADVENTURE  27? 

"It  is  funny  English,"  said  he,  "but  still  it  is  better 
than  no  English.  For  my  own  part  I  speak  English 
like  an  Englishman.  It  is  all  that  I  have  to  show  for 
six  years  spent  in  an  EngHsh  prison.  Now  I  will  tell 
you  why  I  have  come  to  Paris.  I  have  come  in  order 
to  choose  an  agent  who  will  help  me  in  a  matter  which 
affects  the  interests  of  the  Emperor.  I  was  told  that  it 
was  at  the  cafe  of  the  Great  Man  that  I  would  find  the 
pick  of  his  old  officers,  and  that  I  could  rely  upon  every 
man  there  being  devoted  to  his  interests.  I  studied  you 
all,  therefore,  and  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
you  are  the  one  who  is  most  suited  for  my  purpose." 

I  acknowledged  the  compliment.  "What  is  it  that 
you  wish  me  to  do.?"  I  asked. 

"Merely  to  keep  me  company  for  a  few  months,"  said 
he.  "You  must  know  that  after  my  release  in  England 
I  settled  down  there,  married  an  English  wife,  and  rose 
to  command  a  small  English  merchant  ship,  in  which  I 
have  made  several  voyages  from  Southampton  to  the 
Guinea  coast.  They  look  on  me  there  as  an  English- 
man. You  can  understand,  however,  that  with  my  feel- 
ings about  the  Emperor  I  am  lonely  sometimes,  and 
that  it  would  be  an  advantage  to  me  to  have  a  companion 
who   would  sympathize  with   my  thoughts.      One   gets 


280   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

very  bored  on  these  long  voyages,  and  I  would  make  it 

worth  your  while  to  share  my  cabin." 

He  looked  hard  at  me  with  his  shrewd  grey  eyes  all 
the  time  that  he  was  uttering  this  rigmarole,  and  I  gave 
him  a  glance  in  return  which  showed  him  that  he  was 
not  dealing  with  a  fool.  He  took  out  a  canvas  bag  full 
of  money. 

"There  are  a  hundred  pounds  in  gold  in  this  bag," 
said  he.  "You  will  be  able  to  buy  some  comforts  for 
your  voyage.  I  should  recommend  you  to  get  them  in 
Southampton,  whence  we  will  start  in  ten  days.  The 
name  of  the  vessel  is  the  Black  Swan.  I  return  to 
Southampton  to-morrow,  and  I  shall  hope  to  see  you 
in  the  course  of  the  next  week." 

"Come  now,"  said  I.  "Tell  me  frankly  what  is  the 
destination  of  our  voyage .?" 

"Oh,  didn't  I  tell  you.'^"  he  answered.  "We  are  bound 
for  the  Guinea  coast  of  Africa." 

"Then  how  can  that  be  in  the  highest  interests  of  the 
Emperor?"  I  asked. 

"It  is  in  his  highest  interests  that  you  ask  no  indis- 
creet questions  and  I  give  no  indiscreet  replies,"  he 
answered,  sharply.  So  he  brought  the  interview  to  an 
end,  and  I  found  myself  back  in  my  lodgings  with  noth- 


HIS  LAST  ADVENTURE  281 

ing  save  this  bag  of  gold  to  show  that  this  singular 
interview  had  indeed  taken  place. 

There  was  every  reason  why  I  should  see  the  adven- 
ture to  a  conclusion,  and  so  within  a  week  I  was  on  my 
way  to  England.  I  passed  from  St.  Malo  to  Southamp- 
ton, and  on  inquiry  at  the  docks  I  had  no  difficulty  in 
finding  the  Black  Swan,  a  neat  little  vessel  of  a  shape 
which  is  called,  as  I  learned  afterward,  a  brig.  There 
was  Captain  Fourneau  himself  upon  the  deck,  and  seven 
or  eight  rough  fellows  hard  at  work  grooming  her  and 
making  her  ready  for  sea.  He  greeted  me  and  led  me 
down  to  his  cabin. 

"You  are  plain  Mr.  Gerard  now,"  said  he,  "and  a 
Channel  Islander.  I  would  be  obliged  to  you  if  you 
would  kindly  forget  your  military  ways  and  drop  your 
cavalry  swagger  when  you  walk  up  and  down  my  deck. 
A  beard,  too,  would  seem  more  sailor-like  than  those 
moustaches." 

I  was  horrified  by  his  words,  but,  after  all,  there  are 
no  ladies  on  the  high  seas,  and  what  did  it  matter.?  He 
rang  for  the  steward. 

"Gustav,"  said  he,  "you  will  pay  every  attention  to 
my  friend,  Monsieur  Etienne  Gerard,  who  makes  this 
voyage  with  us.     This  is  Gustav  Kerouan,  my  Bretou 


382   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

steward,"  he  explained,  "and  you  are  very  safe  in  his 
hands." 

This  steward,  with  his  harsh  face  and  stern  eyes, 
looked  a  very  warlike  person  for  so  peaceful  an  employ- 
ment. I  said  nothing,  however,  though  you  may  guess 
that  I  kept  my  eyes  open.  A  berth  had  been  prepared 
for  me  next  the  cabin,  which  would  have  seemed  comfort- 
able enough  had  it  not  contrasted  with  the  extraordinary 
splendour  of  Fourneau's  quarters.  He  was  certainly  a 
most  luxurious  person,  for  his  room  was  new-fitted  with 
velvet  and  silver  in  a  way  which  would  have  suited  the 
yacht  of  a  noble  better  than  a  little  West  African  trader. 
So  thought  the  mate,  Mr.  Burns,  who  could  not  hide 
his  amusement  and  contempt  whenever  he  looked  at  it. 
This  fellow,  a  big,  solid,  red-headed  Englishman,  had 
the  other  berth  connected  with  the  cabin.  There  was  a 
second  mate  named  Turner,  who  lodged  in  the  middle 
of  the  sliip,  and  there  were  nine  men  and  one  boy  in  the 
crew,  three  of  whom,  as  I  was  informed  by  Mr.  Burns, 
were  Channel  Islanders  like  myself.  This  Burns,  the 
first  mate,  was  much  interested  to  know  why  I  was  com- 
ing with  them. 

"I  come  for  pleasure,"  said  L 

He  stared  at  me. 


HIS  LAST  ADVENTURE  2SS 

"Ever  been  to  the  West  Coast?"  he  asked. 

I  said  that  I  had  not. 

"I  thought  not,"  said  he.  "You'll  never  come  again 
for  that  reason,  anyhow." 

Some  three  days  after  my  arrival  we  untied  the  ropes 
by  which  the  ship  was  tethered  and  we  set  off  upon  our 
journey.  I  was  never  a  good  sailor,  and  I  may  confess 
that  we  were  far  out  of  sight  of  any  land  before  I  was 
able  to  venture  upon  deck.  At  last,  however,  upon  the 
fifth  day  I  drank  the  soup  which  the  good  Kerouan 
brought  me,  and  I  was  able  to  crawl  from  my  bunk  and 
up  the  stair.  The  fresh  air  revived  me,  and  from  that 
time  onward  I  accommodated  myself  to  the  motion  of 
the  vessel.  My  beard  had  begun  to  grow  also,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  that  I  should  have  made  as  fine  a  sailor 
as  I  have  a  soldier  had  I  chanced  to  be  born  to  that 
branch  of  the  service.  I  learned  to  pull  the  ropes  which 
hoisted  the  sails,  and  also  to  haul  round  the  long  sticks 
to  which  they  are  attached.  For  the  most  part,  however, 
my  duties  were  to  play  ecarte  with  Captain  Fourneau, 
and  to  act  as  his  companion.  It  was  not  strange  that 
he  should  need  one,  for  neither  of  his  mates  could  read 
or  write,  though  each  of  them  was  an  excellent  seaman. 
If  our  captain  had  died  suddenly  I  cannot  imagine  how 


284  THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 
we  should  have  found  our  way  in  that  waste  of  waters, 
for  it  was  only  he  who  had  the  knowledge  which  enabled 
him  to  mark  our  place  upon  the  chart.  He  had  this  fixed 
upon  the  cabin  wall,  and  every  day  he  put  our  course 
upon  it  so  that  we  could  see  at  a  glance  hpw  far  we  were 
from  our  destination.  It  was  wonderful  how  well  he 
could  calculate  it,  for  one  morning  he  said  that  we 
should  see  the  Cape  Verd  light  that  very  night,  and  there 
it  was,  sure  enough,  upon  our  left  front  the  moment  that 
darkness  came.  Next  day,  however,  the  land  was  out  of 
sight,  and  Burns,  the  mate,  explained  to  me  that  we 
should  see  no  more  until  we  came  to  our  port  in  the  Gulf 
of  Biafra.  Every  day  we  flew  south  with  a  favouring 
wind,  and  always  at  noon  the  pin  upon  the  chart  was 
moved  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  African  coast.  I  may 
explain  that  palm  oil  was  the  cargo  which  we  were  in 
search  of,  and  that  our  own  lading  consisted  of  coloured 
cloths,  old  muskets,  and  such  other  trifles  as  the  English 
sell  to  the  savages. 

At  last  the  wind  which  had  followed  us  so  long  died 
away,  and  for  several  days  we  drifted  about  on  a  calm 
and  oily  sea,  under  a  sun  which  brought  the  pitch  bub- 
bling out  between  the  planks  upon  the  deck.  We  turned 
and  turned  our  sails  to  catch  every  wandering  puff,  until 


HIS  LAST  ADVENTURE  285 

at  last  we  came  out  of  this  belt  of  calm  and  ran  south 
again  with  a  brisk  breeze,  the  sea  all  round  us  being  alive 
with  flying  fishes.  For  some  days  Burns  appeared  to 
be  uneasy,  and  I  observed  him  continually  shading  his 
eyes  with  his  hand  and  staring  at  the  horizon  as  if  he 
were  looking  for  land.  Twice  I  caught  him  with  his 
red  head  against  the  chart  in  the  cabin,  gazing  at  that 
pin,  which  was  always  approaching  and  yet  never  reach- 
ing the  African  coast.  At  last  one  evening,  as  Captain 
Foumeau  and  I  were  playing  ecarte  in  the  cabin,  the 
mate  entered  with  an  angry  look  upon  his  sunburned 
face. 

"I  beg  your  pardon.  Captain  Fourneau,"  said  he. 
"But  do  you  know  what  course  the  man  at  the  wheel  is 
steering?" 

"Due  south,"  the  captain  answered,  with  his  eyes  fixed 
upon  his  cards. 

"And  he  should  be  steering  due  east." 

"How  do  you  make  that  out?" 

The  mate  gave  an  angry  growl. 

"I  may  not  have  much  education,"  said  he,  "but  let 
me  tell  you  this.  Captain  Fourneau,  I've  sailed  these 
waters  since  I  was  a  little  nipper  of  ten,  and  I  know 
the  Hne  when  I'm  on  it,  and  I  know  the  doldrums,  and  I 


286   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

know  how  to  find  my  way  to  the  oil  rivers.  We  are 
south  of  the  line  now,  and  we  should  be  steering  due 
east  instead  of  due  south  if  your  port  is  the  port  that 
the  owners  sent  you  to." 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Gerard.  Just  remember  that  it  is 
my  lead,"  said  the  captain,  laying  down  his  cards. 
"Come  to  the  map  here,  Mr.  Burns,  and  I  will  give  you 
a  lesson  in  practical  navigation.  Here  is  the  trade  wind 
from  the  southwest  and  here  is  the  line,  and  here  is  the 
port  that  we  want  to  make,  and  here  is  a  man  who  will 
have  his  own  way  aboard  his  own  ship."  As  he  spoke 
he  seized  the  unfortunate  mate  by  the  throat  and 
squeezed  him  until  he  was  nearly  senseless.  Kerouan, 
the  steward,  had  rushed  in  with  a  rope,  and  between 
them  they  gagged  and  trussed  the  man,  so  that  he  was 
utterly  helpless. 

"There  is  one  of  our  Frenchmen  at  the  wheel.  We 
had  best  put  the  mate  overboard,"  said  the  steward. 

*'That  is  safest,"  said  Captain  Fourneau. 

But  that  was  more  than  I  could  stand.  Nothing 
would  persuade  me  to  agree  to  the  death  of  a  helpless 
man. 

With  a  bad  grace  Captain  Fourneau  consented  to 
spare  him,  and  we  carried  him  to  the  after-hold,  which 


HIS   LAST  ADVENTURE  287 

lay  under  the  cabin.  There  he  was  laid  among  the 
bales  of  Manchester  cloth. 

"It  is  not  worth  while  to  put  down  the  hatch,"  said 
Captain  Fourneau.  "Gustav,  go  to  Mr.  Turner  and  tell 
him  that  I  would  like  to  have  a  word  with  him." 

The  unsuspecting  second  mate  entered  the  cabin,  and 
Was  instantly  gagged  and  secured  as  Burns  had  been. 
He  was  carried  down  and  laid  beside  his  comrade.  The 
hatch  was  then  replaced. 

"Our  hands  have  been  forced  by  that  red-headed 
dolt,"  said  the  captain,  "and  I  have  had  to  explode  my 
mine  before  I  wished.  However,  there  is  no  great  harm 
done,  and  it  will  not  seriously  disarrange  my  plans. 
Kerouan,  you  will  take  a  keg  of  rum  forward  to  the 
crew  and  tell  them  that  the  captain  gives  it  to  them  to 
drink  his  health  on  the  occasion  of  crossing  the  line. 
They  will  know  no  better.  As  to  our  own  fellows,  bring 
them  down  to  your  pantry  so  that  we  may  me  sure 
that  they  are  ready  for  business.  Now,  Colonel  Ge- 
rard, with  your  permission  we  will  resume  our  game  of 
ecarte." 

It  is  one  of  those  occasions  which  one  does  not  forget. 
This  captain,  who  was  a  man  of  iron,  shuffled  and  cut, 
dealt  and  played  as  if  he  were  in  his  cafe.     From  be- 


^88       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

low  we  heard  the  inarticulate  murmurings  of  the  two 
mates,  half  smothered  by  the  handkerchiefs  which 
gagged  them.  Outside  the  timbers  creaked  and  the  sails 
hummed  under  the  brisk  breeze  which  was  sweeping  us 
upon  our  way.  Amid  the  splash  of  the  waves  and  the 
whistle  of  the  wind  we  heard  the  wild  cheers  and  shout- 
ings of  the  English  sailors  as  they  broached  the  keg  of 
rum.  We  played  half-a-dozen  games  and  then  the  cap- 
tain rose.  "I  think  they  are  ready  for  us  now,"  said 
he.  He  took  a  brace  of  pistols  from  a  locker,  and  he 
handed  one  of  them  to  me. 

But  we  had  no  need  to  fear  resistance,  for  there  was 
no  one  to  resist.  The  Englishman  of  those  days, 
whether  soldier  or  sailor,  was  an  incorrigible  drunkard. 
Without  drink  he  was  a  brave  and  good  man.  But  if 
drink  were  laid  before  him  it  was  a  perfect  madness — 
nothing  could  induce  him  to  take  it  with  moderation. 
In  the  dim  light  of  the  den  which  they  inhabited,  five 
senseless  figures  and  two  shouting,  swearing,  singing 
madmen  represented  the  crew  of  the  Black  Swan.  Coils 
of  rope  were  brought  forward  by  the  steward,  and  with 
the  help  of  two  French  seamen  (the  third  was  at  the 
wheel)  we  secured  the  drunkards  and  tied  them  up,  so 
that  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  speak  or  move.     They 


HIS  LAST  ADVENTURE  289 

were  placed  under  the  fore-hatch,  as  their  officers  had 
been  under  the  after  one,  and  Kerouan  was  directed  twice 
a  day  to  give  them  food  and  drink.  So  at  last  we  found 
that  the  Black  Swan  was  entirely  our  own. 

Had  there  been  bad  weather  I  do  not  know  what  we 
should  have  done,  but  we  still  went  gaily  upon  our  way 
with  a  wind  which  was  strong  enough  to  drive  us  swiftly 
south,  but  not  strong  enough  to  cause  us  alarm.  On 
the  evening  of  the  third  day  I  found  Captain  Fourneau 
gazing  eagerly  out  from  the  platform  in  the  front  of 
the  vessel.  "Look,  Gerard,  look !"  he  cried,  and  pointed 
over  the  pole  which  stuck  out  in  front. 

A  light  blue  sky  rose  from  a  dark  blue  sea,  and  far 
away,  at  the  point  where  they  met,  was  a  shadowy  some- 
thing like  a  cloud,  but  more  definite  in  shape. 

"What  is  it.?"  I  cried. 

"It  is  land." 

"And  what  land?" 

I  strained  my  ears  for  the  answer,  and  yet  I  knew  al- 
ready what  the  answer  would  be. 

"It  is  St.  Helena." 

Here,  then,  was  the  island  of  my  dreams !  Here  was 
the  cage  where  our  great  Eagle  of  France  was  con- 
fined 1    All  those  thousands  of  leagues  of  water  had  not 


S90   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

sufficed  to  keep  Gerard  from  the  master  whom  he  loved. 
There  he  was,  there  on  that  cloud-bank  yonder  over  the 
dark  blue  sea.  How  my  eyes  devoured  it !  How  my  soul 
flew  in  front  of  the  vessel — flew  on  and  on  to  tell  him 
that  he  was  not  forgotten,  that  after  many  days  one 
faithful  servant  was  coming  to  his  side.  Every  instant 
the  dark  blur  upon  the  water  grew  harder  and  clearer. 
Soon  I  could  see  plainly  enough  that  it  was  indeed  a 
mountainous  island.  The  night  fell,  but  still  I  knelt 
upon  the  deck,  with  my  eyes  fixed  upon  the  darkness 
which  covered  the  spot  where  I  knew  that  the  great  Em- 
peror was.  An  hour  passed  and  another  one,  and  then 
suddenly  a  little  golden  twinkling  light  shone  out  ex- 
actly ahead  of  us.  It  was  the  light  of  the  window  of 
some  house — perhaps  of  his  house.  It  could  not  be  more 
than  a  mile  or  two  away.  Oh,  how  I  held  out  my  hands 
to  it! — they  were  the  hands  of  Etienne  Gerard,  but  it 
"was  for  all  France  that  they  were  held  out. 

Every  light  had  been  extinguished  aboard  our  ship, 
and  presently,  at  the  direction  of  Captain  Fourneau,  we 
all  pulled  upon  one  of  the  ropes,  which  had  the  eff^ect  of 
swinging  round  one  of  the  sticks  above  us,  and  so  stop- 
ping the  vessel.  Then  he  asked  me  to  step  down  to  the 
cabin. 


HIS  LAST  ADVENTURE  291 

"You  understand  everything  now,  Colonel  Gerard," 
said  he,  "and  you  will  forgive  me  if  I  did  not  take  you 
into  my  complete  confidence  before.  In  a  matter  of  such 
importance  I  make  no  man  my  confidant.  I  have  long 
planned  the  rescue  of  the  Emperor,  and  my  remaining 
in  England  and  joining  their  merchant  service  was  en- 
tirely with  that  design.  All  has  worked  out  exactly  as 
I  expected.  I  have  made  several  successful  voyages  to 
the  West  Coast  of  Africa,  so  that  there  was  no  difficulty 
in  my  obtaining  the  command  of  this  one.  One  by  one 
I  got  these  old  French  man-of-war's-men  among  the 
hands.  As  to  you,  I  was  anxious  to  have  one  tried  fight- 
ing man  in  case  of  resistance,  and  I  also  desired  to  have 
a  fitting  companion  for  the  Emperor  during  his  long 
homeward  voyage.  My  cabin  is  already  fitted  up  for 
his  use.  I  trust  that  before  to-morrow  morning  he  will 
be  inside  It,  and  we  out  of  sight  of  this  accursed  island." 

You  can  think  of  my  emotion,  my  friends,  as  I  listened 
to  these  words.  I  embraced  the  brave  Fourneau,  and 
implored  him  to  tell  me  how  I  could  assist  him. 

"I  must  leave  it  all  in  your  hands,"  said  he.  "Would 
that  I  could  have  been  the  first  to  pay  him  homage,  but 
it  would  not  be  wise  for  me  to  go.  The  glass  Is  falling, 
there  is  a  storm  brewing,  and  we  have  the  land  under 


29^       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

our  lee.  Besides,  there  are  three  English  cruisers  near 
the  island  which  may  be  upon  us  at  any  moment.  It  is 
for  me,  therefore,  to  guard  the  ship  and  for  you  to  bring 
off  the  Emperor." 

I  thrilled  at  the  words. 

"Give  me  your  instructions !"  I  cried. 

"I  can  only  spare  you  one  man,  for  already  I  can 
hardly  pull  round  the  yards,"  said  he.  "One  of  the 
boats  has  been  lowered,  and  this  man  will  row  you  ashore 
and  await  your  return.  The  light  which  you  see  is  in- 
deed the  light  of  Longwood.  All  who  are  in  the  house 
are  your  friends,  and  all  may  be  depended  upon  to  aid 
the  Emperor's  escape.  There  is  a  cordon  of  English 
sentries,  but  they  are  not  very  near  to  the  house.  Once 
you  have  got  as  far  as  that  you  will  convey  our  plans 
to  the  Emperor,  guide  him  down  to  the  boat,  and  bring 
him  on  board." 

The  Emperor  himself  could  not  have  given  his  in- 
structions more  shortly  and  clearly.  There  was  not  a 
moment  to  be  lost.  The  boat  with  the  seaman  was  wait- 
ing alongside.  I  stepped  into  it,  and  an  instant  after- 
ward we  had  pushed  off.  Our  little  boat  danced  over 
the  dark  waters,  but  always  shining  before  my  eyes  was 
the  light  of  Longwood,  the  light  of  the  Emperor,  the 


HIS   LAST  ADVENTURE  293 

star  of  hope.  Presently  the  bottom  of  the  boat  grated 
upon  the  pebbles  of  the  beach.  It  was  a  deserted  cove, 
and  no  challenge  from  a  sentry  came  to  disturb  us.  I 
left  the  seaman  by  the  boat  and  I  began  to  cHmb  the 
hillside. 

There  was  a  goat  track  winding  in  and  out  among 
the  rocks,  so  I  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  my  way.  It 
stands  to  reason  that  all  paths  in  St.  Helena  would  lead 
to  the  Emperor.  I  came  to  a  gate.  No  sentry — and  I 
passed  through.  Another  gate — still  no  sentry!  I 
wondered  what  had  become  of  this  cordon  of  which 
Fourneau  had  spoken.  I  had  come  now  to  the  top  of 
my  climb,  for  there  was  the  light  burning  steadily  right 
in  front  of  me.  I  concealed  myself  and  took  a  good  look 
round,  but  still  I  could  see  no  sign  of  the  enemy.  As 
I  approached  I  saw  the  house,  a  long,  low  building  with 
a  veranda.  A  man  was  walking  up  and  down  upon  the 
path  in  front.  I  crept  nearer  and  had  a  look  at  him. 
Perhaps  it  was  this  cursed  Hudson  Lowe.  What  a  tri- 
umph if  I  could  not  only  rescue  the  Emperor,  but  also 
avenge  him!  But  it  was  more  likely  that  this  man 
was  an  English  sentry.  I  crept  nearer  still,  and  the 
man  stopped  in  front  of  the  lighted  window,  so  that  I 
could  see  him.     No;  it  was  no  soldier,  but  a  priest.     I 


294   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

wondered  what  such  a  man  could  be  doing  there  at  two 
in  the  morning.  Was  he  French  or  Enghsh?  If  he 
were  one  of  the  household  I  might  take  him  into  my  con- 
fidence. If  he  were  English  he  might  ruin  all  my  plans. 
I  crept  a  little  nearer  still,  and  at  that  moment  he  en- 
tered the  house,  a  flood  of  light  pouring  out  through 
the  open  door.  All  was  clear  for  me  now  and  I  under- 
stood that  not  an  instant  was  to  be  lost.  Bending  my- 
self double  I  ran  swiftly  forward  to  the  lighted  window. 
Raising  my  head  I  peeped  through,  and  there  was  the 
Emperor  lying  dead  before  me. 

My  friends,  I  fell  down  upon  the  gravel  walk  as  sense- 
less as  if  a  bullet  had  passed  through  my  brain.  So 
great  was  the  shock  that  I  wonder  that  I  survived  it. 
And  yet  in  half  an  hour  I  had  staggered  to  my  feet 
again,  shivering  in  every  limb,  my  teeth  chattering,  and 
there  I  stood  staring  with  the  eyes  of  a  maniac  into  that 
room  of  death. 

He  lay  upon  a  bier  in  the  centre  of  the  chamber,  calm, 
composed,  majestic,  his  face  full  of  that  reserve  power 
which  lightened  our  hearts  upon  the  day  of  battle.  A 
half-smile  was  fixed  upon  his  pale  lips,  and  his  eyes, 
half-opened,  seemed  to  be  turned  on  mine.  He  was 
stouter  than  when  I  had  seen  him  at  Waterloo,  and  there 


HIS  LAST  ADVENTURE  295 

was  a  gentleness  of  expression  which  I  had  never  seen 
in  life.  On  either  side  of  him  burned  rows  of  candles, 
and  this  was  the  beacon  which  had  welcomed  us  at  sea, 
which  had  guided  me  over  the  water,  and  which  I  had 
hailed  as  my  star  of  hope.  Dimly  I  became  conscious 
that  many  people  were  kneeling  in  the  room;  the  little 
Court,  men  and  women,  who  had  shared  his  fortunes, 
Bertrand,  his  wife,  the  priest,  Montholon — all  were 
there.  I  would  have  prayed  too,  but  my  heart  was  too 
heavy  and  bitter  for  prayer.  And  yet  I  must  leave,  and 
I  could  not  leave  him  without  a  sign.  Regardless  of 
whether  I  was  seen  or  not,  I  drew  myself  erect  before 
my  dead  leader,  brought  my  heels  together,  and  raised 
my  hand  in  a  last  salute.  Then  I  turned  and  hurried 
off  through  the  darkness,  with  the  picture  of  the  wan, 
smiling  lips  and  the  steady  grey  eyes  dancing  always 
before  me. 

It  had  seemed  to  me  but  a  little  time  that  I  had  been 
away,  and  yet  the  boatman  told  me  that  it  was  hours. 
Only  when  he  spoke  of  it  did  I  observe  that  the  wind 
was  blowing  half  a  gale  from  the  sea  and  that  the  waves 
were  roaring  in  upon  the  beach.  Twice  we  tried  to 
push  out  our  little  boat,  and  twice  it  was  thrown  back 
by  the  sea.     The  third  time  a  great  wave  filled  it  and 


S96   THE  ADVENTURES  OF  GERARD 

stove  the  bottom.  Helplessly  we  waited  beside  it  until 
the  dawn  broke,  to  show  a  raging  sea  and  a  flying  scud 
above  it.  There  was  no  sign  of  the  Black  Swan.  Climb- 
ing the  hill  we  looked  down,  but  on  all  the  great  torn 
expanse  of  the  ocean  there  was  no  gleam  of  a  sail.  Slio 
was  gone.  Whether  she  had  sunk,  or  whether  she  was 
recaptured  by  her  English  crew,  or  what  strange  fate 
may  have  been  in  store  for  her,  I  do  not  know.  Never 
again  in  this  life  did  I  see  Captain  Fourneau  to  tell  him 
the  result  of  my  mission.  For  my  own  part  I  gave  my- 
self up  to  the  English,  my  boatman  and  I  pretending 
that  we  were  the  only  survivors  of  a  lost  vessel — though, 
indeed,  there  was  no  pretence  in  the  matter.  At  the 
hands  of  their  officers  I  received  that  generous  hospi- 
tality which  I  have  always  encountered,  but  it  was  many 
a  long  month  before  I  could  get  a  passage  back  to  the 
dear  land  outside  of  which  there  can  be  no  happiness  for 
so  true  a  Frenchman  as  myself. 

And  so  I  tell  you  in  one  evening  how  I  bade  good-bye 
to  my  master,  and  I  take  my  leave  also  of  you,  my  kind 
friends,  who  have  listened  so  patiently  to  the  long- 
winded  stories  of  an  old  broken  soldier.  Russia,  Italy, 
Germany,  Spain,  Portugal,  and  England,  you  have 
gone  with  me  to  all  these  countries,  and  you  have  seen 


HIS  LAST  ADVENTURE  «97 

through  my  dim  eyes  something  of  the  sparkle  and 
splendour  of  those  great  days,  and  I  have  brought  back 
to  you  some  shadow  of  those  men  whose  tread  shook  the 
earth.  Treasure  it  in  your  minds  and  pass  it  on  to  your 
children,  for  the  memory  of  a  great  age  is  the  most 
precious  treasure  that  a  nation  can  possess.  As  the 
tree  is  nurtured  by  its  own  cast  leaves  so  it  is  these  dead 
men  and  vanished  days  which  may  bring  out  another 
blossoming  of  heroes,  of  rulers,  and  of  sages,  I  go  to 
Gascony,  but  my  words  stay  here  in  your  memor}'-,  and 
long  after  Etienne  Gerard  is  forgotten  a  heart  may 
be  warmed  or  a  spirit  braced  by  some  faint  echo  of  the 
words  that  he  has  spoken.  Gentlemen,  an  old  soldier 
salutes  you  and  bids  you  farewell. 


THE   END 


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